


To Love My Enemy

by Alley_Cat



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark, Drama, F/M, Magic, Multi, Romance, Vampire Slayer(s), Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-06
Updated: 2012-10-25
Packaged: 2017-11-09 07:14:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 35
Words: 185,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/452763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alley_Cat/pseuds/Alley_Cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isabella has been a slayer for the past two years. She has stopped apocalypses and killed more than one vampire master. However, a new threat has come to Phoenix, one that will turn her life upside down. Everything she knows, everything she believes in, turns out to be a pile of lies. Having lost everything, she moves to Forks, searching for answers.</p><p>Carlisle sees the love Jasper and Alice share and longs to feel something similar. However, having been burnt in the past, he does not believe that it will ever happen to him.</p><p>Dark secrets wait to be revealed as two enemies meet. He is the thing that walks in the dark; she is the one girl in all the world. How can you kill your enemy when you love them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome, My Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight Saga; Konami owns Castlevania; Joss Whedon owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I only own the story in front of you.
> 
> Warning: this story contains the use of foul language, explicit descriptions of sex, character death, mild description of violence, and mentions of psychological torture.
> 
> My editing team: Mary-Alice-Brandon-Cullen, I.T.P, JaspersDestiny.

**Preface**

"What the hell are you?"

"The last thing you'll ever see in your life." The creature backhanded her, and she was thrown back with such force that she felt dizzy for a moment. "You're strong. I'm stronger." The creature smirked, his red eyes glinting in anticipation.

"Duly noted," she murmured, scrambling to her feet.

The creature was faster than anything she had ever faced before. It grabbed her by her neck before she was fully standing, blocking the flow of air into her lungs. "I'm going to enjoy watching you die, feeling the blood as I drain it from your body, feast on your power as I drink your life and relish in it."

Holding onto the hand that was choking her, Isabella gathered the last of her strength and kicked the creature between his legs. _Whatever you may be_ , she thought, _you're still a male_. The creature responded in the desired manner, dropping his hold on her and slumping to its knees.

 _There is a time to fight and there is a time to run_. _Now is definitely the time to run._

* * *

**Chapter One – Welcome, My Enemy**

_Phoenix, Arizona, June 1998_

Alucard watched the young brown-haired girl from a safe distance as she fought one of his minions. He didn't care for them; they were nothing more than pawns—created to serve and easily replaceable. What Alucard was interested in was the girl, the Slayer. It had taken him more than a decade to locate her. The Council had hidden her well, but when one had eternity, time ceased to be a problem.

He remained in the shadows, keeping himself out of reach of her senses, and he watched as one by one, five minions turned to dust. The girl was strong, fast, and appeared to be well trained. Her Watcher had done a good job with her; it was too bad that he was going to kill the chap very soon.

Putting a stake through the minion's heart—and thus turning him into dust—the Slayer completed her patrol for that night and headed home. There had been an increase in vampire activity lately, and Isabella Swan knew that this meant there was a new master in town. She wasn't worried, despite her Watcher's advice to not underestimate this new threat. She had already killed two masters who had been under the impression that they could turn Phoenix into their feeding ground, and she had done so before she had even turned seventeen. She believed that she was strong enough to take down her third as well.

She began to sense a follower about two blocks away from her home, leading her to change course and turn into a dark alley. Acting quickly and relying on her instincts, she climbed to the second floor of the emergency stairway of a building and hid in the shadows, waiting for the inevitable arrival of her pursuer.

Alucard went down the alley into which the girl had disappeared and was surprised to find the dead-end alley to be empty. He paused as he reached out with his senses. He could feel that she was close, but before he could focus enough to pinpoint her location, the girl jumped out of her hiding place. She landed a kick in the middle of his chest, making him stumble backwards.

"Why are you following me?" she demanded.

Alucard smirked. The girl had spirit and he liked it. "Why do you assume I was following you?"

"It's late, I'm tired, and I don't want to play games. Why were you following me?" Isabella knew that she was facing a vampire, and a powerful one at that. Her Slayer senses—the ones that gave her a warning whenever a vampire was near—were all over the place as she tried her best to keep her face expressionless.

"Maybe I just like you," he offered.

She slid the stake she kept hidden in her sleeve into the palm of her hand, taking comfort in feeling the warm wood now in her reach.

The demon's sharp eyes caught the movement and he smiled faintly.

"Are you trying to pull that 'I have a soul' act on me?" Isabella asked. "'Cause that's, like, really old."

Alucard saw her lowering her gaze from his eyes to his chest right before she lunged at him. He wasn't surprised; he was expecting her to attack—the eye movement gave her away. Isabella's stake missed him when he stepped aside at the last moment before contact, and he used the momentum to throw her against the wall of the building she had dropped from earlier. He heard the cracking sound of her head hitting the wall and grinned.

She recovered quickly, jumping back to her feet and sending a well-aimed kick towards his chest. She didn't reach her target; instead, he caught her leg and twisted the foot downward, causing her to fall to the asphalt. It was only thanks to her fast reflexes that she didn't land on her face but was able to stop the fall with her hands.

He expected her to try to stand up before she continued her assault, but again, Isabella surprised him when she twisted her body and kicked him in the shin. He stumbled, and it gave her enough time to recover and get back to her feet.

She was fast and determined, Alucard noted to himself as he took a punch to his ribs. He also had to admit that she was much stronger than he gave her credit for; he was going to feel that bruised rib for the rest of the night at the least.

Isabella smirked when she noticed that her punch had hindered his movements. He was a strong opponent, strong and well trained, she thought as he dodged a second punch and threw her against the opposite wall. He was still in his human façade; something that she knew was fairly uncommon. Most of the vampires she had fought so far usually fell into their demon face soon after the first punch was thrown, if not beforehand. For a vampire to do so while he was fighting meant that he had a great amount of control over his feelings—control that could only come from age. Young vampires were volatile and guided by their own emotions.

The two rounded each other for several more minutes, but it was soon obvious that Isabella was getting too tired to prolong the fight and was about to go in for the kill. Alucard couldn't let that happen, nor did he want to kill her, at least not yet. Isabella Swan was someone he had great plans for before he made sure to stop her heart from beating again. He kicked her in the stomach, causing her to stumble back and land on top of an extremely smelly garbage pile, and turned to leave the alley.

"I'll see you around, kid," he called before disappearing into the darkness.

Isabella huffed as she stood up and grumbled something under her breath that sounded very much like, "Stupid, cocky, bloodsucking vampire."

o.O.o

Isabella's Watcher, Jonathan Stewart, wasn't very pleased when she gave him the details of her encounter with the vampire. Her failure to stake the demon was not only a reflection on her training—or the insufficiency of it—or on his performance as her watcher; the crux of the matter was that Stewart was worried about a new powerful vampire showing up and the danger it posed to the young girl that he was ordered to care for. It was frowned upon in the Council for a Watcher to grow attached to his Slayer. The expected short life span of the Slayer was one of the reasons, the other was that it was meant to be a productive relationship and the Council viewed emotions as an obstacle to their ultimate goal – fighting evil.

"What else can you tell me about him? Did he tell you his name?" Stewart pressed, trying to gain as much information as was possible from the young girl. He knew that the key to being able to recognize this new vampire – who was undeniably an old and powerful one to have escaped an encounter with the Slayer without turning into a pile of dust – would be to examine every detail about him, no matter how small it might seem. Stewart was a very experienced researcher for the Council, and he was determined to be just as successful in his first assignment as a Watcher. He didn't like to think about the possibility that it might not be his last assignment in the field of watching; a second assignment as a Watcher meant that his protégée was dead.

"I wasn't interviewing him for a job, Stew!" Isabella exclaimed, exasperated. She was pacing the library floor from one side to the other, agitated. She wasn't upset with her Watcher, not really;, she was angry at herself for letting the vampire get away. It hadn't happened very often, let alone when she had the vampire one on one.

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, I apologize," Stewart stuttered. "It's just that every detail…" he trailed off. He picked up one of the books and began turning the pages.

"Is important," Isabella finished, plopping down on top of one of the desks. "I know, but other than his really freakish almost-completely-white hair, nothing really stood out."

"Did you just say white hair?" Steward paused his leafing of the book and looked at her from the top of his glasses. "Shoulder-length white hair?"

There was a familiar spark of excitement in the Watcher's eyes, one that Isabella knew to mean that this particular piece of information might be the breakthrough he had been waiting for. "Yes., I'm not sure about the shoulder length part, though, because his hair was tied back."

"Oh!" he exclaimed excitedly, before sobering. "Oh."

"I'm guessing it's not good?" she asked, swinging her legs beneath her.

"I need to check my books," he said, evading her question.

"But—?"

Stewart sighed and gave in to the question in the Slayer's eyes. "I believe that you might have run into the oldest vampire ever to be documented."

"Oh." Isabella knew that wasn't a good thing. A vampire only gained power as he got older; he might never age, but with each passing generation, his power would grow.

Stewart went inside his office and came back a minute later holding a very old and tattered book in his hands. He turned several pages, looking for the paragraph that spoke of the old vampires, and began to read aloud. "Alucard, estimated to be around three thousand years old, originated from the Indo-European people that occupied what is today known as Germany." He skimmed through several passages before he looked up at Isabella with grave eyes. "It says here that Alucard is responsible for killing at least three slayers and a dozen or so watchers."

Suddenly, losing the fight last night didn't seem like such a bad thing to Isabella. Unlike her predecessors, she had walked away from the fight still breathing. "That would explain why he was so strong," she murmured.

"I would imagine it would." Stewart took off his glasses and rubbed the lenses with a handkerchief from his pocket, a nervous habit of his for a very long time. Isabella's worry grew with each passing moment, because seeing her Watcher nervous definitely meant bad news in her book.

"But it doesn't explain why he walked out of the fight." She suspected that he had a hidden agenda—don't all evil masterminds have one up their sleeves? She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like it once she found out what it was.

"No, it doesn't," he agreed. "This only means that you will have to be very careful, Ella," he said, worry coloring his voice. The nickname he used was more evidence of how seriously concerned he was about this matter. He was the only one who ever called her by that name; her parents usually used 'Bella' if they wanted to shorten her name. Isabella secretly preferred her Watcher's nickname for her, rather than the one her parents gave her, but she was sensitive enough to not mention it to them.

"I will, I promise," she said softly. "So what do we do next? I mean, other than try to find where he's hiding and drive a stake through his heart." She grinned at the prospect of ridding the world of yet another evil creature. The thought always lifted her spirits considerably.

Stewart was in no laughing mood. "That's exactly what I _don't_ want you to do," he stated firmly. "We need to learn as much as possible about his strengths and weaknesses before we even attempt to launch an attack on him. Alucard will no doubt be surrounded by a large amount of minions, so going in without having all the information could prove to be fatal!"

"Relax, Stew," she huffed. The old man worried too much sometimes. "I'm not about to go on a suicide mission. I happen to like living."

"Good. Now go home before your parents start worrying about your whereabouts."

"My parents aren't home yet." She shrugged.

"In that case, I wouldn't mind a hand with the research…" Stewart trailed off, hiding a smile.

"No, no, that's okay. I really should get back home, you know, homework and stuff," she said quickly as she jumped off the desk she was sitting on.

"I thought you might," Stewart murmured as he lowered his gaze to the book that he was still holding in his hands.

"Yeah, so, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye," she mumbled as she walked towards the doors of the library.

"Ella," he called, and she turned to look at him. "Be careful on patrol tonight."

"I will. Promise." She flashed him a cocky grin and stepped out into the night.

Stewart watched as she left. The cockiness of her grin had him worried, as he feared that her arrogant attitude would be her downfall. While he had a lot of faith in the abilities of the young Slayer, even the small amount of information he already had about Alucard painted him as a more than worthy opponent for her.

Stewart and Isabella had been working together almost two years, ever since she was called to duty shortly after her sixteenth birthday. He had come to respect her strength—both the mental and the physical—as well as accept that she would have a quirkiness about her that he would never fully understand.

The duties that were required of her as Slayer made it hard for her to have any close friends, and he was aware that it was something that Ella was struggling with. However, while the Council's official policy was complete discretion, Stewart believed that it was the small piece of normality that Ella insisted on maintaining that allowed her to handle her destiny as well as she had so far, surviving much longer than most of her predecessors. Slayers were known to have a very short lifespan. Stewart was one of the top researchers for the Council and he had seen the statistics; the oldest a slayer had ever reached was the age of twenty-five. Eighty percent of the slayers in the past two centuries had died before their eighteenth birthday. The odds were stacked very high against his slayer, and with the new threat in town, Stewart's worry reached a new level.

o.O.o

_Phoenix, Arizona, September 1998_

Carly Montenegro didn't come to Phoenix to make friends. In fact, she was dragged there, screaming and fighting tooth and nail against going to that stinking hellhole. Carly was a foster child. She had been in the system ever since her parents had died in a car accident when she was twelve.

She had gone through several families before ending up with the Stevensons in Phoenix, Arizona. Each family had given up on her shortly after her arrival, and Carly wasn't expecting anything different this time around. Therefore, when the girl who sat next to her in History class tried to introduce herself after class was over, Carly blew her off. She knew that it was better to not become attached to anyone because she wouldn't be staying long anyway.

Carly had been stuck in detention for being rude to a teacher, so she was late getting out of school. It was getting dark outside, but she didn't care. There was very little waiting for her in that house, and most of it would be unpleasant as soon as the Stevensons found out about her detention, so Carly walked slowly, keeping her head down and her mind focused on the blaring music coming from her headphones.

Alucard had been itching for a fresh meal, and the tall girl looked like a very good candidate. She was a little on the skinny side; dressed in the rebellious black that teens seemed to have a preference for these days. Most importantly, she was completely alone, paying attention to nothing other than the music blaring in her headphones. He hid in a dark alley a little further down the street she was walking on and waited for her to pass by.

Carly didn't even have time to scream before she was pulled into the dark alley and a cold hand covered her mouth. She tried anyway, but the sound was muffled and she knew she wouldn't be heard.

"There's no point in screaming, little girl," the monster whispered against her ear. She felt goosebumps spread over her skin and her heartbeat begin to race. She knew that nothing good could come out of the situation she currently found herself in; the best result she could hope for was that the monster behind her wanted nothing more than sex. The tone of his voice, however, made her insides turn, and she knew that she was about to die by his hands.

She whimpered when she felt him brush her dark hair away from her shoulder and his cool breath on her neck. The darkness of the alley and her spiking fear had turned her almost blind. She could never describe a single thing about the alley, but she would forever remember the sickeningly sweet voice of her attacker, and she hoped against hope that forever would mean more than the next few minutes.

"Your fear is absolutely intoxicating," the monster whispered right before she felt a sharp pain in her neck.

As her life was slowly draining away from her, Carly wondered what kind of a monster would bite their victim on the neck. The possibilities that came to her mind were irrational. _There's no such thing as vampires_ , she thought, but the creature that held her in a vice grip, effectively paralyzing her while his mouth was attached to her throat, was very real.

Alucard rejoiced in the warm blood flowing down his throat. He had gone much too long without feeding, and there was nothing he liked more than the blood of a young innocent girl. It was spiced with just the right amount of fear and desperation. He drank slowly, savoring every drop of the precious liquid. He was so focused on his meal that he failed to realize what his senses were telling him until it was almost too late to respond. He dropped the girl and turned around just in time to find himself face to face with the Slayer.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's not polite to bite?" she quipped as she threw a punch to his face.

Alucard's head flew backwards and he stumbled over the body of the girl, almost falling to the ground. Only his quick reflexes saved him from the Slayer's next blow; a wooden stake aimed for his heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky enough to escape completely unscathed; the sharp weapon plunged into his shoulder and he howled in pain.

Alucard knew when it was time to fight and when the odds were not in his favor. He would never admit to the slight pang of fear he felt at that moment, just before he turned around and disappeared into the shadows. Isabella, however, did see the flash of fear in his eyes just before he ran away, and for the first time in the past three months, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

The sense of fulfillment was short lived when she knelt next to the girl, who lay unconscious on the ground. Isabella was saddened to recognize her classmate; she hated knowing that had she been even a minute or two later, she would have lost someone she was familiar with. In the three months that had passed since Alucard's first arrival in Phoenix, too many people she knew had lost their lives.

Isabella knelt down next to Carly's body and used her own sweater to press against the open wound in Carly's neck. She knew that time was of the essence for Carly; the bleeding was slowing down, but the girl had lost a lot of blood. She debated with herself for a minute longer before picking Carly up and bursting into a run. Luckily, the hospital was a mere block away.

o.O.o

It always amazed Isabella how the medical staff in Phoenix was able to overlook the obvious. _Of course, what's obvious to you isn't so obvious to them_ , she argued with herself. It had been almost an hour since she had brought Carly in, and there was still no word from the doctors. Isabella had told the doctor that she'd heard a scream and then found Carly bleeding in the alley.

Another hour passed before she saw Carly being moved to a recovery room. During that time, she called Stewart to let him know what had happened, and he told her to stay in the hospital to see how much the girl remembered. Isabella was certain that it was a waste of time; normally, victims didn't remember being attacked, and even when they did, they came up with a rational explanation to ease their mind. She had no doubt that Carly would do the same, but she trusted her Watcher, and deep down she wanted to be sure that Carly was going to be fine.

Isabella snuck inside the recovery room shortly after the medical staff left. Carly had an IV inserted in her left arm and was being infused with a bag of blood hanging on the pole next to her bed. A white bandage covered the wound on her neck, and she looked as though she was sleeping. Isabella sighed and sat down on the only chair in the room.

She hoped that Carly would wake up sooner rather than later, since she had school the next day and would have loved to get at least a few hours of sleep before classes. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long because about thirty minutes after she came in, Carly began to come around.

Carly blinked a few times as the room came into focus. The sharp scent of detergents and the sickeningly white walls were enough to tell her that she was in a hospital. She felt a dull ache in the side of her neck and her eyes flew open when memories of what had happened flooded her mind. She gasped sharply and almost jumped out of her own skin when she noticed that she wasn't alone in the room.

"Gabriella?" she asked, her voice weak and barely above a whisper.

"It's Isabella, actually," Isabella corrected. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone bit me on the side of my neck," Carly spat. Part of her was aware that the small girl standing in front of her couldn't possibly have been her assailant, but she was angry and the girl was a comfortable target.

Isabella was surprised by the amount of anger in Carly's voice, but she held her relaxed posture. "Well, looks like you're doing well enough."

Carly raised her hand to her neck and groaned when she noticed the tubing in her arm. "I hate needles," she grumbled.

Isabella chuckled. "I don't think anyone likes them, unless you're a doctor, and even then I'm not sure."

Carly rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to make sure you survived." Isabella shrugged. "I brought you to the hospital."

"Why?"

"Call me sentimental, but I didn't think leaving you to bleed to death was the best way to handle the situation."

Carly took a second look at the girl standing next to her bed. She was shorter than Carly by about five inches or so, but there was something about her that emitted a confidence that Carly usually associated with representatives of the law. Logically, she knew the girl in front of her wasn't a cop, but the question flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Are you a cop?"

Isabella laughed. "I'm not dumb enough."

Carly smiled. It was only a slight twitch of the corner of her mouth, but it was significant; she hadn't smiled very often after losing her parents. "I think I like you."

"I think you're high."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Nope, it comes naturally." Isabella smiled. She began to like the tough new girl. "But seriously, how are you feeling?"

"I've told you already, like someone bit me on the neck." Carly almost missed the short flash of surprise on Isabella's face, but she was so well trained in reading people's emotions that it was enough for her to catch. "I'm not lying," she added with a frown.

"Never said you were."

"Then what's the problem?"

Isabella hesitated, trying to think of a way that she could frame her answer in an innocent-enough response so as to not arouse further suspicion. "People don't usually remember what happened just before they were attacked."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Isabella shrugged, trying to appear innocent.

"You're lying." Carly accused. She was used to people lying to her, but that didn't mean she liked it when they did.

"I'm not lying."

"Fine," Carly huffed. "You're omitting facts. That's just as bad as lying."

"Fine," Isabella said in the same huffing tone. "What do you think I'm 'omitting'?"

"You know what attacked me."

Isabella was stunned speechless. How could this girl have figured it out? She considered lying once again, but just like before, she chose to format her answer as truthfully as possible.

"I think I might know who attacked you."

"What was it?" Carly shot.

"Excuse me?"

"What. Was. It?" Carly said each word separately. "I know I'm not crazy, and I know that that thing wasn't just your run of the mill murderer. That thing wasn't…" This time she hesitated. Even to her own ears, the idea sounded crazy, but she knew what she had seen and felt. The thing that had held her in that dark alley wasn't human.

"Human." Isabella completed for her. "It wasn't human." There was really no point in lying to the girl any longer.

"A va–"

"Don't," Isabella cut her off immediately. "Not here."

"Fine. Where?"

"Once you get out of the hospital, meet me after school in the library. I'll explain what I can."

Carly studied Isabella's face for several minutes before speaking again. "Fine."

"Try to get some sleep."

"Did anyone call my, um, parents?"

"No. I told them I didn't know who you were, just that I found you bleeding in the alley. They'll probably ask you as soon as they know you're awake." Isabella turned to leave but paused before opening the door. "I would suggest telling the doctors that you don't remember anything about your attack. It's easier that way."

"Wasn't planning on becoming Phoenix's next top lunatic," Carly said with a chuckle.

Isabella responded with a smile of her own. She opened the door and made a step to leave. "I think I like you, too," she said with a wink at Carly before shutting the door behind her.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	2. Goodbye, My Queen

**Chapter Two - Goodbye, My Queen**

_Helmsley, UK, July 1998_

"It's time to move." The announcement was made by Alice from her seat next to her husband and mate, Jasper. The two of them, along with the third member of their family—Carlisle—sat around a heavy wooden dining table for a family meeting arranged by Alice. "And I have found the perfect place for us," she added with a grin. Her natural enthusiasm was elevated by the visions she had been receiving since she decided to move to the small town of Forks, Washington. She was well aware that her choice of location would take some convincing on her part. Jasper had an intense love-hate relationship with the United States and would be reluctant to go back there, but her precognitive abilities had helped her to see that she would eventually get what she wanted, and that it would be the best course of action for everyone involved.

"I agree," said Jasper in his usual quiet tone. "People are beginning to become suspicious."

"Yes, I have noticed that too. Where did you have in mind, Alice?" Although he was considered to be the leader by both Alice and Jasper, Carlisle Cullen saw the two as his family and as his equals, despite having neither one related to him by blood or venom. He treasured their opinions, and while the final call was ultimately his, he would never make a decision of such importance without hearing them out first.

"Forks, Washington." Alice smiled.

"Washington?" Jasper asked, surprised. "As in Washington State?"

"Yes. And there's no point in arguing," she declared confidently.

Jasper knew that she was right. Alice would have seen the outcome of their conversation as soon as he made the choice to argue with her. She possessed precognitive abilities that carried on from her human life into her vampire existence, amplifying several times over in the process, to a point where the future was no longer a mystery to her. If she said that it was pointless to argue, then it probably was. He considered arguing anyway—the subject was a sensitive one after all—but received a frown from her and decided that he should at least listen to her reasons before making an attempt at discouraging her.

"Thank you, Jasper." Alice smiled victoriously. "It is a small town, in American terms. It has a small community hospital that would agree to take Carlisle fresh out of residency, since they are in such short supply of doctors. Also," she raised her voice slightly when she saw she was about to be interrupted, "there's a good high school that Jasper and I can attend. Jasper as Carlisle's nephew and me as Jasper's girlfriend."

Jasper groaned as soon as the words 'high school' left her mouth. In the past decade, he had found himself interacting closer to humans than he had ever thought himself capable. However, ever since he and Alice had become companions and he had adopted the vegetarian lifestyle, he still maintained a healthy—for any and all humans involved—distance from what was his natural source of food. He was able to attend college, but it was only achieved by taking a very light course load and spreading the classes to no more than two a day. However, it was not only the proximity of humans that he felt so apprehensive about, but also the unknown impact of so many emotions affecting him at the same time. Jasper's gift of manipulating the emotional climate around him had one major disadvantage; he did not only sense the emotions around him, he felt them almost as though they were his own, and it was especially hard when those emotions were far from being positive or pleasant. Jasper attempted to imagine what a modern-day high school would be like, especially emotionally, and felt a shiver run down his spine. _If I thought college was bad_ , he thought to himself, _high school is going to be hell incarnate._

"Jasper, you can do it," Alice tried to encourage him. He felt trust and confidence from both her and Carlisle, as well as the feelings of love each had for him—which, although different, were very strong nonetheless—and forcefully pushed the thoughts about high school to the back of his mind.

"What is our cover story?" asked Carlisle. He could see the struggle in the young vampire's face and knew that Jasper needed time to process everything. The best course of action in Carlisle's opinion was to engage Alice in a conversation, thus giving Jasper time to think things through. "What last name are we going to use?"

"You two are going to be Cullens for this one. I'm going with Whitlock." Alice had an unmistakable note of pride to her tone. It had been three decades since she had last gone by her married name, and she missed it.

For the sake of avoiding any and all paper trails that might lead back to them, all three members of the family had used many different aliases. While living in Stockholm, shortly after the three of them met, they had been the Cullens—two brothers and a sister-in-law—using Carlisle's human surname. Later, they moved to France and lived for several years as the Matthews—chosen after Carlisle's middle name—in a small town just off the coast of Normandy. Alice had loved it so much that they still owned a cottage there, and she would vacation there with Jasper on the off years when they wanted to spend some time alone. They had moved several times over, using even more aliases, before settling in Helmsley, UK, seven years ago under the name of Peters. This time their family name had been chosen by Jasper, who used his brother-by-venom's name; Peter.

They hadn't been the Whitlocks in over three decades, and even then it was only for a short period of time before they had had to move, due to an unfortunate incident that neither one of them wanted to recall.

In her heart, Alice considered herself to be both a Whitlock and a Cullen. She saw Carlisle as a father figure. As she had almost no recollection of her own human father, the blond noble vampire was a source of great support as well as a wonderful role model. Jasper was her soulmate; he was one of the very few clear memories she had had from her human life. She always knew that her life would lead her to him. It had been one very long journey before she finally found him, but it was worth it in her mind. She was proud to be carrying the Whitlock name— _his_ name—and used it in public whenever she could.

"Jasper, you are Carlisle's nephew from his much older brother," Alice continued. "Carlisle, your brother's name was... let me think." She paused for a moment. "Oh, I've got one! Edward." She smiled approvingly, satisfied with her choice of name. "Your brother was Edward Cullen. He had a son—you, Jasper—at the very early age of seventeen. The boy was given up for adoption because Edward was too young to care for him. Edward went on to marry Rosalie, who was Jasper's birth mother, several years later, but no one ever told Carlisle about Jasper. After ten years of marriage that resulted in no more children, Rosalie died in a…" Alice scrunched her nose, thinking about a possible cause of death for the woman she had just invented.

"Mugging?" Jasper suggested.

"Rosalie died in a mugging gone wrong." Alice flashed a grateful smile at her husband. "Edward never got over the loss of his beloved wife and eventually succumbed to a…"

"Lung infection."

"Lung infection. Thank you, Carlisle." Alice nodded approvingly. "On his deathbed, Edward confessed to you that he had a son, and he asked you to find him and make sure that he was doing well," she said as she continued to weave the story. Years of experience had taught all three of them that the more details their story had, the easier it would be to convince the humans that it was true. "You've spent the past three years searching, and when you found him, you learned that he had dropped out of high school and was living with a girlfriend—me—while trying to make ends meet."

Carlisle smiled when he saw the two of them look at each other with loving expressions on their faces. There was so much tenderness and love in their eyes that he couldn't help the pang of loneliness that went through him. Carlisle wanted the kind of partnership, love, and understanding that they had. There was a time in his past, a time he wished he could forget, when he thought he had found that kind of love, but reality came crashing down on him when he had asked _her_ to marry him. He was aware that he was still bitter after all this time, still so very much hurt that he couldn't even _think_ her name, much less say it aloud. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it other than give himself time to fill his mind with newer and happier memories.

One of the things that helped him was seeing how well Jasper and Alice interacted. Carlisle was happy to realize that whatever he might have felt—or thought he had felt—for _her_ , it had not been real or deep. Alice once told him that there was someone out there for him, and although it was not very comforting, seeing as she had been guided by her faith and not her visions when she said it, Carlisle had nothing to lose by hoping that someday Alice would be proved correct.

"I'm guessing our foster parents were treating us badly?" Jasper asked, smirking at Alice.

She was the storyteller of the family, and he loved feeling her emotions swirl with positivity as she weaved yet another story for them.

" _Very_ badly," Alice confirmed, with a serious expression on her face. "You left your foster family and dropped out of high school so you could work and rent a place of your own as soon as you turned eighteen. When I reached eighteen myself, you came back for me. I was living in a different foster home, but I went to the same high school as you, which is where we met and fell in love. We lived together until Carlisle found us." The warmth of Alice's smile was turned towards Carlisle this time. _In a way_ , she thought, _Carlisle did save the both of us_. "He insisted that we both get back to school and finish our education."

"So why did we decide to move to Forks?" Carlisle asked. This time he was asking not only for the purpose of the cover story but also out of curiosity. _What is so special about Forks?_ he wondered.

Alice smirked. She knew very well what Carlisle was asking, but she chose to intentionally misunderstand him. "You thought that a small town community, with good old-fashioned values, would do us both good. You didn't want to take us too far, so you didn't take us to England, where you had recently finished your residency. You got a job offer from the Forks Community Hospital and found a house with a very good price tag that was large enough to accommodate all three of us."

"I got a job offer?" Carlisle found it amusing to be the last one to learn that _he_ had gotten job offer.

"Well, I might have already sent them your résumé, and you were asked to start as soon as you move." Jasper and Carlisle both chuckled at Alice's attempt to play coy. They knew her too well to be fooled. She rolled her eyes and poked Jasper with her elbow. "There's no harm in being prepared," she huffed.

"Of course not." Jasper smiled. "There's also no harm in teasing you a little."

Before Alice and Jasper could resort to their usual banter — one that almost always led to the two of them losing their clothes and Carlisle making himself scarce—Carlisle decided to interfere. "When are we leaving?"

"Thirty days from tomorrow," Alice answered. "I already have the letter of resignation ready for your signature on your desk."

"I'll handle the documents that we will need," Jasper stated. There had been many new advances in science in the recent decade, and Jasper had plenty of time to master the use of all of the recent inventions. As a human, he had possessed a slight tendency towards art, and in the afterlife, he found that he could use his enhanced skills to perfectly falsify documents—something that came in very handy when one lived as close to humans as the Cullens did.

"I have the list ready for you; it's on your desk," said Alice. She was aware that Jasper was practiced enough to know which documents they would need, but seeing as this would be the first time they would be attending high school, there were additional papers they would need, and Alice was nothing if not thorough.

"One last thing—" Carlisle began to ask, but was cut off by a quick response from Alice.

"Jasper and I will be posing as eighteen year-olds, and you'll be starting at twenty-threethis time around."

"Twenty-three? Isn't that a little young for a doc—"

"A little, but you were an exceptional student"—Alice interrupted again—"graduated from high school at fifteen and immediately went into medical school."

"Very well, then. I suppose that takes care of everything."

Carlisle wondered why Alice had decided that he should pose as young as twenty-three. Granted, it had been his age when he was turned, and it would potentially grant them more time to remain in the same location, but he sensed that there might be more to it than that. However, Alice had proved herself many times over in the past, and he had no qualms over trusting her this time as well.

o.O.o

The Cullens were very practiced at packing up and leaving. As soon as they made the decision to leave and worked out their cover story, they began to make arrangements. Subtly they began to mention their upcoming move in their conversations with Carlisle's co-workers and the few people that had interacted with them the small town of Helmsley. At first, they were only hinting at the possibility, and as the month progressed, they spoke more definitively. Alice was responsible for that particular cover story as well; Carlisle and Jasper, both of whom had posed as brothers during this period of their lives, had been called to their mother's deathbed in France, and Alice—posing as Jasper's girlfriend—decided to follow her beau. They were very meticulous, leaving as little suspicion as possible behind them whenever they left.

Alice had located several candidates for homes in Forks, all secluded and located on the outskirts of the small town. Jasper took care of the purchase once they made the decision. Carlisle contacted Forks High and made the necessary arrangements to have 'the kids' registered at the school, scheduled to attend their senior year at the beginning of the semester. Once all of the official matters had been cleared out of the way, it was time to handle the furniture. They decided that most of it would be sent into storage—Alice was especially excited at the prospect of decorating yet another house—and what was left would be shipped off to America.

As summer drew to a close, the three Cullens boarded their flight to New York with mixed feelings. Alice was excited, as usual. She could hardly keep herself from bouncing, she was so eager to get to Forks. Carlisle was somewhat sad to be leaving the land where he had spent all of his human life, and Jasper was apprehensive, as high school life was something he wasn't looking forward to.

They traveled by first class, not only because they could easily afford it, but also because there would be less passengers in their vicinity. They couldn't escape the recycled air that would cause the scent of human blood to saturate the small space, but having recently hunted made it a little easier for them. They didn't fly often, preferring to travel by land, where they could escape human company, but crossing the ocean by boat was not an option any of them liked. The journey would be long, involve too much human company, and include a pesky risk of possible exposure to direct sunlight. Contrary to the common myth, it wasn't lethal to them, but sunlight hitting their skin would reveal their inhuman nature to anyone watching them. Alice might have been able to assist in avoiding the two dangers, but it would be almost as bad of a torture as the airplane ride—and the latter was much shorter.

From New York, they continued to Seattle. This time the flight was much shorter; only four hours long. Arriving in Seattle to perfect cloudy weather, they quickly made their way through the airport, picked up what little luggage they had brought with them — the rest had either been shipped in advance or would be bought later—and made their way to a hotel where Alice had made reservations for them.

None of them needed sleep, but since both Carlisle and Jasper would need a car, they had to wait until the car dealership opened in the morning. Alice already had plans to use this opportunity to get herself acquainted with the shops and boutiques in Seattle and begin working on building up the wardrobes of all three of them. In their previous parts, Alice and Jasper had played much older roles than they would be playing in Forks, which meant, in Alice's eyes, that she had a wonderful excuse for a complete makeover. Also, she wanted to get Carlisle to dress more casually than he had been in England.

Once they were checked into their suites, they parted and agreed to meet again in the hotel lobby early the next morning. Carlisle smiled as he watched his two protégées walk down the corridor and disappear behind one of the doors. The smile was only partly happy because there was sadness mixed in as well as a growing amount of jealousy. Carlisle didn't know why his emotions were suddenly on the rise. He had lived and traveled with the both of them for nearly five decades, and while there were moments when he found himself longing for their type of connection and understanding, he was able to look past those emotions with ease. However, this was no longer the case. His emotions were slowly becoming the most prominent thing on his mind.

Carlisle was well aware that he had closed himself off emotionally after the events in Italy. It might have been over a hundred years since the last time he had set foot on Italian ground, but the emotions were still very fresh. He could still feel the burning anger and the searing force of the insult that clutched his muscles each time he recalled his last day in Volterra.

"Damn it," he cursed quietly as the scene replayed itself in his mind. It was at times like these that he wished his vampiric body could be affected by alcohol. He wished he could get really drunk and erase the images and words from his memories forever, but the perfect recall of his mind was untouchable by neither time nor chemical substance. As he sat on the balcony of his Four Seasons suite, overlooking the Puget Sound, he was thrown back into his most painful memories.

o.O.o

_Volterra, Italy, 1875._

Carlisle was burning with excitement as he walked soundlessly through the castle's corridors. Had his heart not stilled more than a century ago, it would have been beating loudly as he closed the distance to his beloved's parlor.

Carlisle had met Esméralda Annette de Platte a few years ago, when she had been brought before the Volturi brothers as the last surviving member of her coven, seeking shelter. He was amazed by her beauty from the first moment he laid eyes on her. She seemed almost angelic in his eyes, with her soft caramel hair, her pale flawless skin, her hourglass figure, and the most tempting smile he had ever seen on a female. Her eyes were the bright crimson that was the norm in the vampire world, but even that did not detract from her appeal. Carlisle knew that if he could gain her affection—and hopefully her love—he would be able to show her a different diet, one that would turn the redness of her irises into a gentle hue of amber.

It had taken him several weeks to gain enough courage to approach her and introduce himself. He did it the proper way, the way he had been brought up to do as a young English gentleman. Marcus da Volturi, his closest friend, did the introductions. For Carlisle, it had been love at first sight. He loved everything about her: the pitch of her voice, the softness of her hand—he never dared touch any other part of her body—the sparkle in her eyes, which always kept him intrigued, and the way his body seemed to fill with hundreds of butterflies whenever he was in her presence.

Marcus was not happy about the situation. He saw everything that emotions hid from Carlisle; he saw the calculative glint in Esméralda's eyes, heard the deceit in her voice, noticed the not-so-innocent flirtations with other male vampires, and he knew things were about to take a turn for the worse. He wanted to warn his friend, and tried to do so on oh-so-many occasions, but to no avail. Carlisle had deemed himself in love and would hear no malice spoken of his beloved.

Many years before, when Carlisle had first arrived in Italy, Marcus was a different man. He was numb, unresponsive, and uncaring, as the loss of his mate many years before had caused him to lose interest in life. Her death was so painful, so hard, that after several years of hurting, Marcus decided that being numb was a better alternative. Everything changed soon after Carlisle's arrival. He had been the breath of fresh air that Marcus needed. His diet was so drastically different, his spirit so pure and his mind so eager to learn, that Marcus felt the numbness disperse almost immediately.

They spent days in the library together, debating over philosophy, science, art, and medicine—a subject that was particularly close to both their hearts, since Marcus had been a medicine man in his human life and Carlisle was a trained physician in his after-life. The two became almost inseparable. When his brothers didn't require his presence in the throne room, Marcus could always be found in Carlisle's company. He was so intrigued by the young vampire's passion that he had actually attempted his way of hunting. It was only a single attempt, since the taste was so foul, but in the name of science, it was a very rewarding experience. Carlisle treasured his friendship with the Volturi brother even more after their hunt. Not only was Marcus the only member of the vampire world that did not mock Carlisle's choice of diet, but he had gone so far as to try it himself!

Unlike others of his kind, Carlisle did not believe in sustaining himself by taking the life of other human beings. He was adamant not to allow himself to be defined by the lack of pulse. While the community he grew up in would label him as a demon for what he had become, Carlisle swore that he would never allow himself to become a monster as well. He had removed himself from society until he found an alternative source for sustenance: animal rather than human blood.

Once the solution was in his grasp, Carlisle worked on developing self-control and restraint. It had taken him a century to reach a level that allowed him to not only interact with humans on a daily basis but to also acquire an education he could have only dreamt about when he was human. Others might have thought his choice of profession ironic, but as a doctor, he was able to save lives rather than end them. And in his book, it was the best way to redemption he could think of.

Growing up in a very religious community, Carlisle knew that the moment he was bitten by a vampire he was probably damned to hell. His father was a pastor who preached about the evil that walked amongst the people, but Carlisle wanted to believe that his actions—even in his undead state of living—would still count when it was time to meet his maker. It was often a matter of debate between Carlisle and Marcus. Carlisle wanted to believe that even as a demon, he still possessed his soul. Marcus, on the other hand, insisted that a soul could not exist in a demon's body. Their debate was never settled, but they enjoyed the conversations they had immensely.

Unaware of the change taking place within himself, Marcus slowly began to show more and more emotion. Some of the guards would have sworn they saw something resembling a smile on his face on more than one occasion. His brothers were stunned. Aro and Caius were so used to the unfeeling, uncaring Marcus that the change was nothing short of dumbfounding. However, everything changed once Lady Esme—as she preferred to be addressed—arrived. Carlisle spent every possible moment either in her company or hunting, and as neither activity had any appeal to Marcus, the happiness that had briefly filled his existence was dimmed again as worry for his friend rose.

Marcus, like many of his kind, was gifted; he had a second sense of sight, one that allowed him to see the relations between sentient beings, be they human or vampires. With no more than a single glance, he could tell who the leader in a coven was, who was mated, and where the ties were weak enough that they could be severed. His gift only confirmed what Marcus had observed on his own, but he could do little more than observe from the background and support his friend.

o.O.o

Carlisle, in a rare decision on his part, did not tell Marcus of his plans. He knew that his one and only friend did not like the woman he loved. He held no grudge against him, hoping that eventually he would come around, but when Carlisle decided it was time to make his intentions towards Lady Esme known, he thought it best to let Marcus know after the fact. He was already nervous enough—it was not every day that a man asked a woman to marry him—that he didn't need Marcus's negative views on Lady Esme to undermine his confidence and resolve.

As the distance to his beloved's parlor grew smaller, Carlisle's anxiety grew exponentially stronger. He had never felt this way towards another woman, not even in his human life. As a pastor's only son, he had had limited choices when it came to brides. Nonetheless, his father's position had given him the opportunity to meet every eligible match in the community—yet none had sparked any interest in him. No woman he had ever seen could match his Esme in her beauty or her manners. No woman could ever take his breath away—despite the fact that breathing was unnecessary in his afterlife—the way that a single glance from his beloved could.

His mind was swirling with so many thoughts, as well as reciting the speech he had prepared, that the sounds his ears picked up were not registered or analyzed for their meaning. However, once Carlisle was standing outside the closed wooden door, he paused to take a cleansing breath and that was when he finally realized that something was out of place. There were sounds coming from inside the chamber: groans and moans, the rustle of fabric, the slick sounds of skin colliding with skin, and a distinct male voice shouting the Lord's name in vain.

Carlisle froze. His mind tried to deny the interpretation that it found for the sounds picked up by his ears. _No, there must be some mistake,_ his inner voice insisted. He lifted his hand and knocked on her door, despite anything he might have thought he had heard, his manner did not allow him to enter a lady's parlor unannounced and uninvited. He heard Lady Esme's reply from inside the room, "Just a moment," and remained standing behind the door. There was more rustling of fabric, as well as hurried footsteps, before the door finally opened to reveal a perfectly dressed Lady Esme.

 _I must have imagined it,_ he thought as he smiled at her.

"Carlisle." If her reply was less than welcoming, he did not hear it. He only saw her eyes sparkle and attributed it to the normal sparkle he saw in them whenever they met.

"Lady Esme, may I come in?" he asked with a soft smile.

There was a short pause and she seemed to contemplate his request, but then she nodded and stepped back fast enough that Carlisle could attribute it to his imagination. "What brings you here today, Carlisle? I do not believe I would have forgotten had we made arrangements to meet."

"No, we did not," he was quick to assure. "I was hoping that you would be able to dedicate several moments of your time to me."

"Of course, please, let us sit."

"Thank you."

Carlisle waited until she was seated before he took his place across from her. He reached for her left hand and held it between his much-larger palms. "Lady Esme," he began, looking into her eyes. "You took my breath away the instant I first met you and I haven't been able to breathe right since. You have captivated my thoughts and my heart. I know with everything that I am that you are the one my soul has been searching for, my perfect other half. There is no doubt in my mind that we belong together for the rest of eternity." He slowly slid the small black box from the inside pocket of his jacket and kneeled before his beloved. "Esméralda Annette de Platte, will you marry me?" He looked up at her and presented her with the ring.

Esme slowly drew her hand from between his and her lips curved in a mocking smile. "Marry you?" Her tone sounded very cold.

Carlisle swallowed hard and nodded, a terribly ominous feeling spreading through his body.

"Marry you?" she repeated, with a roll of her eyes and a chuckle. "Marry you!" The chuckles turned to giggles.

Hurt and amazed, he rose back on his feet as she stood and crossed the room. He could not understand why she was walking towards the closed door of her closet, and he was even more confused when she opened it to reveal Sebastian—a member of the guard—standing inside, only half dressed.

Sebastian seemed to be as amused as Esme was.

"He wants me to marry him," she said to the vampire, and the two burst into laughter.

The facts slowly began to connect in his mind: the way the room smelled, the slightly disheveled appearance of Esme, the sounds he had heard before, and finally, the presence of another male in her closet.

"Oh, Carlisle, you poor fool," she said, feigning sadness. "You could never hope to satisfy a woman like me. Did you honestly think that your bland excuse for a kiss would be enough for me? What did you think I was doing all those nights when I could not 'accompany you for a stroll in the gardens'?" she quoted his invitation and Sebastian snickered.

"She's been shagging me and half of the guard," Sebastian answered with satisfaction. "And I must say, Lady Esme, you are really worth your reputation."

"Of course I am. I've had years of practice."

Carlisle felt physically sick when he saw Esme's soft caress of Sebastian's cheek. He rose to his feet and stared at the couple in front of him. He was never a man of violence, but for the first time in his life and afterlife, he believed himself capable of not only violent behavior but also hurting a female. "So these past year meant nothing to you? Was it some kind of joke? A game?" he hissed. His fists were clutched so hard that the box he held—and the ring inside it—were reduced to dust.

Esme was unimpressed and continued to smile as she answered him. "No, not a game," she said calmly. "But definitely a nice joke. You were like a lost puppy, following me around with a wishful expression on your face." She exchanged a glance with Sebastian, and they both smirked before bursting into another fit of laughter.

Carlisle knew that if he were to remain in the same room with the two other vampires another second, neither one of them would live to see another day. He pivoted on his heels and flew out of the room. He moved so quickly that even to the eyes of the vampires occupying the castle, he became almost a blur.

 _I can't stay in Volterra,_ he thought. _Hell, I probably can't even stay in the same country as that lying, deceitful bitch._ He was so angry that for the first time in his life he allowed himself to curse—and curse a female, at that—out loud.

_Leave. Now._

Carlisle had his belongings packed in a matter of minutes. He decided to take only a small amount of clothes with him, while the rest—his books, his writings, and everything else he had accumulated in his eight and a half decades in Volterra—he would have Marcus ship to him once he was settled down into a new place. He didn't know where he was going yet. All he could think of was the need to put as much distance between himself and everything that would remind him of the complete and utter humiliation that had occurred here today.

Less than an hour after flying out of his former love interest's room, Carlisle stormed into Aro's study, succeeding in something that was almost never done before—surprising the ancient ruler.

"Carlisle, my friend, what is the matter?" Aro asked, looking at the disheveled appearance of the young golden-eyed vampire in front of him.

"I…I mean, she…" Carlisle couldn't even find the right words to tell Aro of what had happened. "I was about to, and then I saw…" He growled as his mind recited the words exchanged between him and the woman he loved.

Aro observed him with worry and curiosity combined. He had never seen his brother's confidant so distraught, so beyond himself that he couldn't find the words to speak his mind. Aro knew Carlisle to be a scholar, a man of calm mannerism and objective view. This wild creature in front of him was a complete stranger.

Giving up on trying to put his thoughts into words, Carlisle raised his hand—palm side up—for Aro to take. As soon as their skin made contact, Aro was flooded with the memories of his friend. Aro's gift allowed him to look into a vampire's mind and see every memory, every thought, and every desire said vampire ever had.

"I understand, my friend," he said calmly, releasing Carlisle's hand. "May your journey be a safe one. I will make sure your belongings will be sent to wherever you ask."

"Thank you." Even in his hour of rage, Carlisle's manners were rooted too deep to ignore, and he had the utmost respect for the vampire in front of him—not out of fear, as so many of the immortal world had, but out of familiarity and knowledge.

"However, I do have one request for you."

"What is it?"

"While you may be leaving Volterra in person, do not leave it in mind. I do not believe Marcus will survive it." It was a simple request, made by a man who loved his brother.

"I promise."

Carlisle gave Aro a small bow of his head and walked out of the study. The ancient vampire watched him leave and knew that they would meet again one day. It may not be any time soon, but one day, in the future, their paths would cross again.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	3. Count Dracula

**Chapter Three - Count Dracula**

_Phoenix, Arizona, September 1998_

Carly missed school the next day, but Isabella wasn’t too worried. She may not have had any medical education, but she could imagine that with the amount of blood Carly must have lost in the attack, she would likely be confined to bed rest for at least a day or two.

_Not everyone has the benefit of the quick Slayer-healing_ , Isabella reminded herself. Seven newly-risen vampires slain and four cemeteries patrolled later, all she had left to do was to finish her rounds in Saint Francis Cemetery, and then she could go home and, hopefully, get some much-needed sleep.

Isabella sighed, exasperated, when she felt the now-familiar tingle at the back of her neck, signaling that a vampire was near. While it could have been one of Alucard’s minions, she was certain that it wasn’t the Master Vampire himself. In the three months since he had arrived in Phoenix, they had had many an encounter, but each time he would disappear into thin air after only a few minutes of fighting. It was incredibly frustrating for the young Slayer, but she took comfort in the fact that she had learned to differentiate the tingling she felt when Alucard was near from the one she felt when any other vampire got within a two-mile radius of her.

Looking around and stretching out with her senses—a method of locating vampires that Stewart had insisted she master in their first months of training—she was able to get a general location on the demon. She started making her way towards him, using the trees surrounding the cemetery to stay hidden from sight. On the north end of the cemetery—where the rich people of Phoenix had their mausoleums built—she watched a vampire enter one of the tombs and exit a few seconds later, holding something in his hand.

_I might have given him too much credit_ , she thought. She noted that the vampire’s attention was so focused on whatever he was holding in his hands that he was walking away from the crime scene completely unaware of his surroundings. This gave her the ability to get close enough to him so that she was standing no more than three feet away before he noticed her presence. His head shot up in surprise. _Stupid thing about vampires_ , she thought, _they can sense me about as well as I can sense them. Fortunately for me, they aren’t as bright in the thinking department_.

A kick to the vampire’s torso sent him flying back into the wall of the mausoleum he had just exited.

“Didn’t anyone ever teach you to watch where you’re going?” she taunted as she punched him in the gut.

The vampire recovered quickly and answered with a right hook of his own. “Slayer!” he hissed.

She dodged and used the opening to throw him over her shoulder. “Are we really going to do this whole ‘me Tarzan, you Jane’ routine? ‘Cause it’s getting a little old.”

He was back on his feet before she even finished her words. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Yeah, yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before.” She dropped to a squat to avoid his kick and stretched out her leg to sweep the leg he was standing on out from under him. The move got her the desired effect, and a moment later, the vampire-thief had a stake shoved through his heart. “I guess it just wasn’t your day.” The vampire was dust before she even rose back to her feet.

She looked around in the grass, trying to find the item that had been lost in the fight. She was certain it was some kind of jewelry, possibly a medallion of sorts, and something told her that if a vampire had bothered trying to steal it, then it was something that Stewart should take a look at. _Now where is that damn...aha! Found it!_ She was just reaching down to pick it up when suddenly something hit her from the side, sending her tumbling. She recovered quickly enough to end her tumble standing up, but she wasn’t quick enough to stop the vampire from taking off with the jewel in his hands.

o.O.o

Coming back from patrol, Isabella was holding her right arm while huffing under her breath angrily at herself. Her patrol was over, but she was far from happy with the turn it had taken after dusting that jewelry-stealing vamp. She was headed towards Stewart’s apartment, having decided that he needed to know about the night’s events sooner rather than later, and she was furious with herself for the way she had handled the situation.

She knocked on his door twice before it was opened. Taking in her Watcher’s attire—a pair of flannel pants and a white t-shirt—it was obvious he was getting ready to go to bed. “I’m sorry to bother you so late. I didn’t mean to...” she trailed off, shifting her weight from one leg to the other in discomfort.

“No, no, come in.” Stewart stepped back to allow her into the apartment. He noticed the state of her clothes—stained with grass and dirt, and sporting several tears—as well as the way she was holding her arm and then went to grab the first aid kit he kept in his bathroom. “I’ll be right back. Please sit down.”

Isabella took up his offer and plopped down on the large leather sofa in his living room. She looked around the room and felt a smile tug at her lips. It screamed ‘old and British’—the furniture was made of dark wood, the walls were covered with a tea leaf print wallpaper, there was a large display cabinet housing more china than she had ever seen outside of a porcelain shop, and, of course, there were shelves upon shelves of books covering every open space on the wall. She had been to this apartment many times over the past two years, but it had always succeeded in making her feel as though she was stepping into another century, as well as another country.

Stewart returned a moment later with the first aid kit in his hands, and Isabella tore her eyes away from the book titles in the cabinet next to the sofa. “Dislocated?” He gestured to her right shoulder.

She nodded, standing up.

Placing one hand on her right shoulder and the other on her waist, he asked. “Ready?”

She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and then nodded. “Do it.”

Stewart did his best to be gentle as he picked up her right hand, bent it in a ninety-degree angle, and rotated it to relocate the shoulder. His hands were steady, but he did wince internally when she let out a groan of pain. It wasn’t the first time he had had to treat a dislocated joint, nor was it the first time it had been her right shoulder. It was part of being a Watcher to a very active and successful Slayer. However, even with the looser joints, he knew that it was painful for her.

She took another deep breath once it was over, muttering several expletives and wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks, before she spoke again. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He smiled and sat down on the sofa. “Why don’t you tell me what happened tonight while I treat the deeper cuts?”

He knew that her accelerated healing would take care of the small scrapes and that they wouldn’t even be visible by the next day, but the deeper cuts still needed to be disinfected. It also helped him to keep his hands busy while she spoke. The need to focus on her words, as well as on the movement of his hands, helped him to avoid falling into a state of panic that would do neither of them any good. _One would have thought I’d be used to it by now_ , Stewart thought as he examined the ugly laceration on her left ankle.

o.O.o

“I chased him down to the industrial area, to one of the abandoned warehouses over there.” Isabella paused to let out a hiss when Stewart wiped yet another cut with an alcohol-dosed cotton swab. “They were waiting for me in the warehouse. I managed to dust some of them, but the one from the cemetery got away. They were definitely Alucard’s boys.”

“How can you be certain?”

“There were too many of them in one place. He’s the only vampire around to hold that many minions. Plus, I could sense the son of a bitch.” Stewart gave her a disapproving look. “Sorry.” She found it odd that while they were dealing with evil and demons on a daily basis, her Watcher still made an issue out of her using foul language. “He wasn’t inside the warehouse, but he was somewhere close by. He probably already has the medallion by now."

“Do you think you can describe it to me?” Stewart always believed it was better to keep yourself focused on the things you can change, rather than the things you couldn’t, and he refused to let his Slayer wallow about what could have possibly been a very good thing. She wasn’t ready to fight the Master Vampire, no matter how confident she felt.

“I can do better.” She flashed a grin. “I can draw it.”

He smiled, happy to see the change in her mood, and got up to bring her a pencil and a piece of paper.

It didn’t take her long to come up with a sketch of the medallion she had seen earlier that evening. It wasn’t very detailed—she had only gotten a few glimpses of it—but Stewart was fairly certain that it would be a good place to start his research.

“What are we going to do about the young lady that you saved from Alucard yesterday?”

“She pretty much guessed most of it herself, so I think it’s only fair that we tell her the rest.” Isabella shrugged. “Besides, I like her.”

Stewart saw the smile she had on her face and decided to keep his concerns to himself. He saw no way to undo what was done—the girl’s memory could not be erased—so he thought he might as well let Ella have the opportunity to make a friend with the one person she could share some of her secrets. “Very well, then. Would you like me to drive you home?”

“No, thanks, I’m okay with walking. It’s not far from here, and I can handle anything that goes bump in the night.”

He smiled as he walked her to the door and told her to be careful once again. He always offered to drive her home each and every time she stopped by at such a late hour, but she always refused and flashed him her usual confident smile.

o.O.o

“Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world; a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to fight the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers. She alone must stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”

“He loves doing that speech,” Isabella whispered to Carly.

“Yeah, I could tell.”

“When one Slayer dies, another one is called to take her place,” Stewart continued, ignoring the whispers. “Isabella is the Slayer.”

Carly glanced at Isabella. “Are there subtitles to that speech?”

Isabella laughed and noticed Stewart frowning at her. She could tell that Carly was going to be really fun to have around. She didn’t seem like the type that was easily scared away, having survived a vampire attack and still remaining calm. “Basically it means that we are the stronger sex and men are cowards.”

“Ella...”

Isabella shrugged and Carly muffled a giggle. “What? I’m not the one who made up the ‘one girl in all the world’ rule.”

“It’s a stupid rule, too,” Carly volunteered.

“I know, right?” Isabella smiled at her.

“So what’s his job?” Carly said, gesturing at Stewart.

“I’m a Watcher,” he replied.

“And you do...what? Watch her?”

Isabella tried to hide her giggle as a cough, but the glare Stewart sent her way told her she wasn’t being subtle enough.

“A Watcher,” he emphasized the term, “is a person who is devoted to tracking, researching, and combating malevolent supernatural entities—particularly vampires. This is done primarily by assisting the individuals with the talents required to fight such beings and win.”

“The Slayer,” Carly said.

“Yes, that is correct,” said Stewart, with an approving smile. “Watchers are assigned to slayers, to train them in combat and to assist them in every other way that is necessary in order to rid the world of said malevolent supernatural entities.”

“Is he always so—,”

“British?” Isabella offered. “Yup, pretty much.”

Stewart just sighed as the two girls exchanged a glance and began to giggle again. He was happy to see them bonding but felt a little embarrassed that they were doing so at his expense.

“So how do we kill them?” Carly asked after they had calmed down a bit.

“You don’t.” Isabella turned instantly serious. All jokes aside, she really didn’t want her potential-friend to become vampire chow in an ill-fated attempt to stake them. “I do. _You_ stay away from them.”

“Okay, so how do _you_ kill them?” Carly remained unfazed by Isabella's harsh tone.

“Wooden stake through the heart, sunlight, decapitation, holy water, crucifix, garlic. You know—the usual.” Isabella shrugged.

“I don’t mean to rush you girls, but Ella and I have a matter to attend to and it’s fairly urgent,” Stewart interfered. He had found some very disturbing information regarding the medallion Ella had seen the vampires take, and the sooner they got it away from Alucard’s hands, the better he would feel.

“Stew!” Isabella chided.

“It’s okay, really.” Carly got up from the chair she was occupying and picked up her schoolbag. “I have to go anyway.”

_There goes my chance at having a friend_ , Isabella thought with a sigh. _Thanks a lot, Stew!_ She glared at her Watcher, who—she could have sworn—flinched. “Be safe, Carly.”

“I will do my best.” She smirked. “See you tomorrow, Ella,” she called as she walked out of the library.

Isabella’s frown turned into a ghost of a smile. _Maybe not all is lost just yet_. “So what did you find about that jewel?”

“It’s an amulet, actually.” He walked over to pick up a book that was lying on top of his desk and showed Ella the drawing inside its pages.

“Yup, that looks like the one that dead boy stole from the mausoleum.”

Stewart suppressed a sigh at her attitude and decided to ignore it. “In Romanian, it is called ‘Inimă cu dracul’. Loosely translated, it means ‘The Devil’s Heart’.”

“The Devil’s Heart? That’s not very original,” she said with a huff.

“Yes, but the literal meaning is ‘Dracula’s heart’, which is—,”

“Wait, _Dracula_? As in, _the_ Dracula?”

“Yes, but—,”

Isabella burst into giggles. “Dracula is long dead, Stewart. Like, _fifteenth_ century, dead.”

“He is, but how did you—?”

“Vlad the Impaler?” She raised her brow, surprised at his reaction, a little hurt, even. “I do listen in History sometimes, you know.”

“Oh, of course, I didn’t mean to imply...that is, I don’t think you’re not...I mean...” He stopped his stuttering to take a deep breath. “The Dracula you were taught about in History class isn’t the one I was referring to.”

“So who _were_ you referring to?”

“Vlad the Impaler wasn’t the first to be called Dracula. The word ‘Dracul’ has several meanings in Romanian: ‘devil’, ‘demon’, ‘the evil one’, ‘the old gentleman’, to mention a few. The vampire who carried that name was around five centuries old when Vlad the Impaler was born.”

“Dracula is real,” she murmured and rolled her eyes. “Next thing I know, Hansel and Gretel are going to march up the alley...”

“Actually—,” He halted as soon as he saw the glare in her eyes.

“You were saying something about Dracula’s heart,” she reminded him after a few moments of silence.

“Yes, yes. Inimă cu dracul, or Dracula’s heart, is an amulet that was made for Dracula by an old Turkish sorcerer. The amulet was supposed to give him the ability to walk in the daylight without—,”

“Turning into a crisp?”

“I was going to say, ‘being burned by the sun’, actually.”

“Sometimes, Stew, you’re no fun at all.” She smiled at him, letting him know that she was only trying to lighten the mood.

“If Alucard has the amulet, it means that he is that much more powerful.”

“And a more powerful Alucard means more dead bodies showing up in the morgue,” she summarized.

“Not only the morgue...” Stewart warned.

“Yeah, I know. He won’t pass on an opportunity to add to his harem of minions.”

“Actually, the term ‘harem’ implies that there are only females...” The words died on his lips when he saw her smirking at him. “I believe the term you were looking for is ‘coven’.”

“Is there anything else about the amulet? Like, how to destroy it? Something tells me that it’s not as simple as crushing it with something heavy.”

“No, that won’t work.”

“Bummer.”

She looked so disappointed that Stewart couldn’t hold in his chuckle.

“Hey, you’d be surprised how many things can be destroyed with something heavy!” she was quick to defend.

“I’m sure I would.” He smiled. “If there is anything I have learned in the past two years that we have been working together, it is that you will never cease to surprise me.”

“I do my best.” She walked over and picked up the book he’d held earlier—the one with the image of the amulet. “So, how can it be destroyed?”

“Well, as long as it has not been activated, all it would take is to soak it in holy water, but if the ritual to activate it has been performed...well, it gets a little more complicated.”

“What does it take to activate it?” she asked, almost absentmindedly, as her eyes focused on the painting of the amulet in the book. There was something very familiar about it, as though she had seen it before somewhere, and she was certain that it was not in her own sketch from the night before, though she couldn’t quite place it.

“There is a ritual that needs to be performed. It is quite complicated and needs to be done under a full moon. The next full moon is in the beginning of October, which leaves us just a little over three weeks to find the amulet and destroy it.”

Isabella wasn’t surprised that Stewart knew exactly when the next full moon was going to be; he was very thorough in his research, even if he only had a few hours to do it. “All right.” She raised her gaze from the book, deciding that she could wonder about the familiarity of the image later. “Well, I need to get home. I’ll stop by after patrol and we’ll talk battle.”

He gave her an empty look. “Talk... _battle_?”

“Oh, God, you’re so...English sometimes! You know, come up with a plan to get the amulet destroyed,” she explained as she picked up her schoolbag from the floor. “I’ll try to do some recon tonight on patrol; see where the son-of-a—um, I mean, Alucard is hiding.”

“Just be careful, please.”

“I’ll try.” She grinned.

Stewart sighed. He watched her leave the library and prayed to every deity that he could think of that there wouldn’t be a repeat of the previous night's events.

o.O.o

As she made her way home from school, Isabella felt both excitement and dread bubbling up inside of her, threatening to spill and cause her to either jump like a deranged bunny or crawl under her bed and hide like the small child she felt she still was in some ways.

Tomorrow’s date was like an ominous sign hanging over her head. She would be eighteen in less than twenty-four hours, and while she was excited to finally become an adult, she could not hold back the darker thoughts that were clouding her mood. She knew better than anyone else—except, possibly, Stewart—how short the lifespan of a slayer was. In the two years that had passed since she had been called, she had defied two prophecies foretelling her death. How many more would she be able to defy before one of them came true? And it didn’t even have to be a prophecy, she thought. It could be something as simple as a moment of distraction. A shudder passed through her body as she continued to wonder whether there was an expiration date on her life already, and if so, how much time did she have left?

She had been able to defeat Alucard in an unfair battle, when he was weak and focused on feeding from Carly, but what would happen when the battlefield was leveled? Her ego protested, but she had to admit—at least to herself—that the only reason she had walked out of last night’s battle with no more than a dislocated shoulder and a few cuts and bruises was because of Alucard’s barked command to the minions holding her. Last night could have been her last night alive and not even her Watcher would have known what had happened to her. This thought was even more depressing than her previous ones, and she felt her excitement die, smothered by the negativity that had suddenly filled her mind.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that when her mother’s voice came from the kitchen, she nearly jumped in surprise.

“Isabella?”

“Yes, Mom, I’m home.” _Way to state the obvious_ , she added mentally.

“Bella, there is something your father and I would like to talk to you about tonight, so make sure not to make any plans for dinner.”

“Okay, Mom.” Isabella went straight to her bedroom, not bothering to enter the kitchen. Two things about her mother’s request struck her as ominous—the use of the shortened version of her name and the explicit request to be present at dinner. Renée had only ever called her ‘Bella’ when she wanted to get on her good side, and dinner with both her parents meant that her father would be coming home early from his work as a police officer.

_It could be because of your birthday_ , her mind argued as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom, but since she lied to practically everyone around her, she wanted to be honest with at least one person—herself. Whatever topic her parents wanted to talk to her about, it couldn't be good. Renée had told her last week that they would be going out to a family dinner at a restaurant in town on Sunday, a day after her birthday, because her father had the early shift on the weekend and wouldn't be able to make it on her actual birthday. Tonight’s dinner had to be about something else.

Thoughts about the significance of the dinner were pushed to the back of her mind as Isabella went to work on her assignments. The first year after being called to duty had been terrible on her grades. In fact, it was so terrible that her parents had hired her three different tutors for the subjects in which her grades had dropped the most. It was a major hindrance to her training and patrols, and she had nearly exposed herself _twice_ to her tutors. After three terrible weeks of being tutored, her grades—and the opinions of her teachers—had improved enough to convince her parents that there was no need for any more tutoring. However, the threat of having those tutors return was enough of a motivation to keep her grades high and her teachers happy. Evil didn’t take homework and papers into consideration, so at every opportunity she had she would concentrate on her homework and write her papers. It was a struggle to balance slaying and school, but since her duty and the need for secrecy left her with no close friends—it certainly left her enough free time to do some studying, although not always during regular or reasonable hours.

o.O.o

Isabella did her best to keep her anxiety from showing during dinner with her parents, but by the time her mother placed dessert and orange juice on the table, she felt she was about to burst. The meal was delicious, but since it was basically take-out from a restaurant that had been re-arranged and re-heated, Isabella didn’t see much point in commenting on it or pointing out that cheesecake and orange juice was an odd combination for dessert. It would only serve to embarrass her mother by reminding her how terrible of a cook she was. Ever since her first attempt at cooking had resulted in a renovation of the kitchen, Renée Swan relied on restaurants to feed her family.

“Isabella.” Her father was the first to break the awkward silence that had lasted ever since the main course was cleared. The seriousness of his tone was evident even in that single word.

_This is worse than I thought._ “Yes, Dad?”

“Tomorrow you are going to be eighteen, an adult, and that has some repercussions that your mother and I would like to discuss with you.”

“Bella, honey,” Renée interfered, feeling that the tone her husband was using was a little too severe for the situation. “Do you remember how I told you that both your father and I came from wealthy families?”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned it before.” Privately, Isabella had attributed her mother’s lack of housekeeping skills—doing the laundry without ending up with an entire load of underwear turning pink was something that she had had to teach her mother—to the upbringing she had received from her own parents. Isabella didn’t remember her maternal grandparents; they had died when she was very young, but from her mother’s stories, she knew that they had relied on servants for everyday tasks. Her father’s family wasn’t as flashy in their wealth, but he was very fixed in his opinion of what a woman’s job was and what a man’s job was, and the two never mixed in his mind. Isabella often mused that he probably didn’t even harbor the thought of clearing the table of dishes after he ate, and that the dishwasher was something he was only aware of in theory.

For as long as Isabella could remember, they had had a cleaning lady come twice a week while she was in school. It wasn’t always the same lady, as they had changed over the years, but if it weren’t for them, she doubted that she would have ever learned to cook for herself or be capable of washing her own clothes. The latter skill had become even more important in the last two years, as now her clothes often had blood on them that she really didn’t need anyone seeing. She might have become an efficient liar, but it didn't mean she liked it.

“Good. Shortly before they died, both Charlie’s parents and mine joined together to establish a trust fund for you.”

_Trust fund? For me? By my grandparents?_ Isabella’s interest and confusion spiked, but she kept her expression neutral. As far as she knew, her grandparents hadn’t bothered to visit her more than once after she was born. A trust fund was the first sign that either set was even aware of her existence.

“There is a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo—,”

“It’s not mumbo-jumbo,” Charlie interfered.

“Well, it is to me,” Renée retorted. “The bottom line is that once you turn eighteen, you will start receiving a monthly allowance from your trust fund.”

“And when you turn twenty-one, the fund will be transferred fully to your control,” Charlie completed for his wife.

Isabella had had a bank account ever since she had turned fifteen, at her father’s insistence. Charlie wanted his daughter to grow up appreciating the value of money, and while he loved his wife with all his heart, he wasn’t blind to the mistakes her parents had made with her. He didn’t want Isabella turning into a girl who had nothing but shopping on her mind.

Charlie had been proud of Isabella when she had taken her first babysitting job for their neighbors and  had later gone on to work part-time at a clothing store—or a boutique, as his wife kept correcting him—during the summer before her freshman year in high school. All afternoon activities were diverted towards studying when, during that first year, Isabella had failed nearly every subject, but he was certain that his daughter had learned the lesson he had wanted her to, and he was also confident that she wouldn’t do anything drastic after her trust fund started paying her the allowance.

“From the serious setting, I’m guessing we’re not talking about a couple hundred a month,” Isabella said. Her mouth dropped with an audible pop when her father told her the estimated figure. She leaned back in her chair, staring at her parents without really seeing them as her mind tried to grasp the amount. “Every month?” she mouthed, unable to find her voice at the moment.

“Every month until you’re twenty-one,” Charlie confirmed.

Renée smiled as she watched her little girl’s reaction. Seeing her daughter’s shocked expression was priceless. She had long suspected that Isabella had seen much more in life than she would have liked her to. Renée could practically point her finger at the exact time it happened—just shortly after her daughter’s sixteenth birthday. Isabella had gone through a tough period, and while Renée was never privy to the exact details—since Isabella had always been a very private person—she knew her daughter had done a lot of growing up. She had been almost devastated at first because Isabella had completely stopped smiling for months, but as the time passed, Renée slowly saw her daughter return to her happier self. Isabella never did go back to the young, carefree happiness she had had before her sixteenth birthday, but now seeing her stunned speechless was like seeing a piece of her innocence again.

“Wow,” Isabella murmured, trying to wrap her head around the numbers she had just heard.

“There is another thing,” Charlie said, drawing his daughter’s attention once again. “It is something that I hope will not be useful to you any time soon, but as you are approaching adulthood, it is something I want you to know.”

Isabella frowned as worry crept into her mind at her father’s words. “What is it, Dad?”

“If anything was to ever happen to me, I want you to take care of your mother.”

Renée huffed, murmuring, “I’m not a child,” under her breath, but the two other occupants of the table ignored her.

“Of course I will, Dad.” Isabella said confidently. She knew why her father was asking this of her. It was something that an outsider might think of as sad, but Isabella had long ago accepted as a fact of life—she was much more mature than her mother ever would be, and thus, Isabella would be the one to take care of her mother in case they were left alone, not the other way around.

“My attorney’s name is D. Arbel.” Charlie took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Isabella. “He has all the legal documents as well as instructions on what to do just in case,” he paused, glancing at his wife, and then turned back to his daughter with a sigh. “Well, you know...”

Isabella suspected that something had happened earlier that day to have initiated this sort of conversation. She didn’t think it was only her birthday that caused the ominous look she observed in her father’s eyes. There had to be more. He had seen a lot of violence, and he had had more than one narrow escape in his long years on the force, but today was the worst she had ever seen him. The worry stayed with her through the rest of the evening, the patrol, and it even manifested itself into her dreams.

That night Isabella barely got any sleep. Time after time, she was plunged into a swirl of screams, blood, and violence. Her dreams were indecipherable for the most part, but she knew each and every one of them involved her parents dying and her not being there to save them. Oddly enough, in her nightmares, vampires were responsible for hurting her parents, not the criminals she had pictured hurting them while she was conscious. The dreams felt real, much too real for comfort, but in the morning, under direct sunlight, things didn’t look so bad, so she decided to push all thoughts about the matter to the back of her mind. She had greater things to worry about.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	4. Playthings

**Playthings**

_Swedish-Norwegian border, Autumn, 1950_

Carlisle knew he had changed after the events in Italy. After leaving Volterra, he felt nothing but rage, shame, and contempt for decades. Choosing the complete opposite of his life in Italy, Carlisle decided to live amongst the humans as one of their own. It was his method of coping with his past, his way of estranging himself from it.

He had left Europe less than a day after leaving Italy. An ocean and a continent were not enough of a distance between him and that lying bitch—as he had come to refer to Esme—but it was a good start. He had moved often, working for a few years in one city and then moving on to the next before anyone could become suspicious. Another drastic change he had made in his life was the company he kept. If before meeting Esme he had limited to no experience with women—be them human or immortal—then in the decades that followed, he had widened his education far beyond his wildest dreams. Females had always found him attractive—the humans among them even more so—and now, for the first time in his life, he took advantage of that.

Sex was more satisfying with an immortal partner, who could stand the full span of his strength, but he found that he enjoyed the warmth of a human body as well. He had to use a condom when he slept with human women. Not knowing what kind of effect his venom might have on their bodies, he preferred to be careful rather than risk their lives. He even found creative ways to heat his body up so that it wouldn't be too cold for his partners. He learned every possible way there was to please a partner as well as to derive pleasure from their bodies.

He never let his heart become involved again. He had made that mistake once, and even half a century later, he still felt the burning agony of it inside his chest. He realized much later that what he had felt for the lying bitch wasn't love but infatuation, yet this realization had not eased the burn of emotions that surged inside him every time his perfect memory brought up that disastrous last day in Italy. He grew bitter and cynical, believing that a thing such as 'true love' was nothing more than a bedtime story for little girls. He was well aware of the changes in his demeanor, but he was unable to avoid them.

That was the man that Alice and Jasper met when they found him hunting near the Norwegian-Swedish border. The pair of golden-eyed vampires took him completely off guard just as he finished his meal. Up until that point, he had not known of any other immortals who had chosen to live differently, let alone many who were even aware that such a possibility existed.

The two vampires appeared to be very well dressed—the male wore a dark navy sweater, black slacks, and hiking boots while the female wore a light blue dress with a matching coat and hat—and even though their clothes were clearly made for travel, Carlisle noticed that they were of top quality. It was rare for nomads to be so well dressed, and he knew that there were no other vampires residing permanently in the area, so he was instantly wary of their motives.

His wariness turned to shock when the little black-haired female addressed him not only in English but also by his name.

"Hello, Carlisle."

Her smile was friendly and her manner was cheerful. Carlisle felt himself oddly drawn to the small creature. The male, who was clearly her mate, seeing as how his scent and hers were so closely mixed, stood next to her, his expression blank and unreadable.

Carlisle decided that a polite approach would be best. "Hello."

"I'm Alice," she said, still smiling, "and this is Jasper, my husband."

"I would introduce myself, but it seems that you know me already," he said dryly, unable to help himself.

Jasper tensed, but Alice calmly stepped slightly in front of him, anticipating his intention. "Yes, I do. Well, in a way...I'm psychic."

Carlisle stared at her for several long moments. Gifted vampires were nothing new to him, not after spending so many years with the Volturi, who gathered gifted vampires like a child gathered rare stamps, but he was not about to simply take her word for it.

However, it seemed that his manners were still rooted too deeply inside him. "What can I do for you, Alice?"

"Well, it's more what we can do for you, actually," she responded, without hesitation.

"Oh?" Carlisle's tone was skeptic.

Jasper hid a smile as he bent down to kiss Alice on the top of her head. "Alinka, you might want to start from the beginning."

Alice smiled at the sound of his nickname for her. Every time he used it, she was instantly reminded of their time in St. Petersburg after their first meeting. She glanced up at him, seeing her smile mirrored in his eyes, and turned back to Carlisle. "I've been seeing visions of you since I was a little girl," she said. "They weren't very clear at first, but after I was changed, they became much clearer. You are in danger."

Carlisle didn't bother hiding his mocking smile. _I guess not all of my manners are still with me_ , he thought.

Alice laughed in self-humor. "I am well aware that I must sound like a crazy carnival gypsy, but it's true. I couldn't tell when, but I saw you being attacked."

"Attacked? By who?"

"Well, I don't know exactly," she admitted sheepishly. "But—"

"When?" he demanded, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't know, but—"

"Not much of a psychic, are you? You don't seem to know that much." He couldn't resist the jab, but it did earn him a warning growl from her mate. He dropped his hands from his chest instantly and had to keep himself from crouching in a defensive stance. He felt somewhat confused when his anger suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a peaceful calmness that felt almost unnatural.

"Thank you, Jasper." Alice turned back to Carlisle. "I can't tell you _when_ because the decision when to attack you hasn't been made yet. What I _can_ tell you is that it's inevitable. They will come," she spoke firmly. "There will be anywhere between four and six of them, newborns mostly, but there is an older vampire leading them."

"Suppose that 'they' _are_ coming." Carlisle tried to stop himself from using a mocking tone, but the barely suppressed growl from Jasper told him that he wasn't doing such a good job. "What's it to you?"

It was Jasper who answered him this time. "I happen to know a thing or two about handling newborns."

"I can tell," Carlisle murmured under his breath. The countless scars on the male's body would go mostly unnoticed by human eyes, but they were battle scars any vampire would recognize from a mile away. They screamed danger. Carlisle suspected that not a single one of those who left their mark on this vampire's body had lived to tell the tale. Newborn vampires were uncontrollable, wild creatures that acted purely on instinct. While an older vampire would think twice before attacking Jasper, a newborn wouldn't have the presence of mind to even consider anything but fighting him.

"I also dislike it when our kind choses to kill just to serve their thirst for vengeance," Jasper continued, ignoring Carlisle's words. "Alice is convinced that you are a good person, so she wanted to come here to warn you. In my years with her, I have learned to trust her visions." He looked down lovingly at his mate and wife, and for a moment, they were lost in each other's gaze.

Carlisle felt a sharp tug in his chest at the sight of the two lovers before him. Despite the hard shell he had built around his heart, he could not squelch the longing that he sometimes felt at the sight of a couple in love. "How do these visions work, exactly?"

"I see images...flashes of scenes that can and might happen," Alice explained, tearing her eyes away from Jasper. "Once a decision is made, the future is set, and I get glimpses of the fate that awaits those who are close to me. However, fate, like one's mind, isn't set in stone, and when the decision is changed, so is the future."

"And this vision you had of me...?"

"It hasn't changed since I first saw it, and that was years ago."

Carlisle pondered the possibility for a moment. He still doubted much of what they had said, yet there was something inside him telling him not to close himself off to the possibility. _I have seen some crazy things in Volterra,_ he reminded himself. _Most of them were much crazier than having visions._ Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt about her gift, he asked, "Why me?"

Alice smirked. It was a funny sight; a tiny black-haired vampire, looking more like a teenager than a grown woman, was smirking at him. "That is something for me to know and for you to find out when the time is right."

"The important thing right now is to make sure we are ready for the attack, no matter when it comes." Jasper spoke quietly, but there was an undertone of authority in his voice telling Carlisle that this man was no stranger to leadership. "Alice told me that she saw them attacking during winter time, and while I realize that in this part of the world winter could spread over a very long period of time, I don't think there is such a thing as being too prepared."

"I agree," Carlisle said with a nod. Thinking that he didn't have anything to lose by listening to someone who could be considered a professional, he asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"From what I have learned about this area, there are several locations that fit Alice's vision, all of which are hard to defend and—"

"JASPER!" Alice cut off her mate's words, dropping into a defensive crouch.

Jasper was shielding her before she even finished his name. Carlisle spun around to face the unknown danger. Acting purely on instinct, he dropped to a crouch and held back a growl.

Five newborn vampires stood on top of the hill overlooking the valley, and one very familiar-looking figure was in the lead.

"Missed me, my sweet Carlisle?" Esme's voice was sickeningly sweet, but the glint in her eyes was unmistakably sinister.

"What are you doing here, bitch?" Carlisle watched as she descended the hill with two of the newborns escorting her, acting as bodyguards. "And what is it with the boneheads? Are you starting a new trend—fucking five at a time? I guess one couldn't keep you satisfied for long."

Esme's smile was gone in an instant. She glowered at him, and by the time he finished taunting her, she was growling. Her eyes darkened in rage, and she sneered. "You will be eating those words, Carl. I swear you will."

Jasper glanced to the right, making a firm decision, and then looked at Alice, silently telling her what he was going to do. She gave him a very small nod in return. She placed a hand on his forearm, signaling for him to wait, and he sent a burst of confidence towards her. It was not the first time they had faced a battle where they were outnumbered, and they had perfected their way of communicating without words.

"Come and make me, whore." Carlisle smirked. He had waited more than sixty years to be able to stand up to her; sixty years in which he had had to recall his humiliation on a nearly daily basis.

"With pleasure," Esme said in a final tone. She motioned to her bodyguards. "Take care of the trash; leave Carlisle to me."

The newborns were quick to obey as they ran down the hill and split into two groups. Three of them went after the male—assuming that he would be the bigger threat—while the other two attacked the smaller female. Esme collided with Carlisle almost mid-air, sending a crushing sound of thunder throughout the usually peaceful valley.

The newborns were no match for Jasper. He was able to tear an arm each from two of his attackers within less than a second and send the third one flying towards a nearby tree, reducing it to splinters.

Alice could not use her gift while fighting with two such volatile opponents, their unstable nature making their future too unpredictable for her to see clearly, but she had not been the mate of the much-feared Major Whitlock for over two decades without learning how to fight. Between the two of them, Esme's newborns were in pieces before even a minute had passed.

Esme and Carlisle were moving much slower. Emotions involved, they danced around each other, Esme throwing the odd punch and Carlisle dodging, but no damage had been done so far. To Jasper's trained eye, it was obvious that Carlisle was merely playing with her.

"Not much of a fighter, are you, _Lady_ Esme?" Carlisle taunted her, avoiding her attacks with ease.

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," she replied. "But then again, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you, virgin?"

Carlisle smiled, unfazed. There was a time when her words would have hurt him deeply, but not anymore. It was then that he understood that he had finally begun to heal. "I know enough," he said as he launched himself at her.

His calm manner caught her unprepared and she found herself flying towards the forest, leaving a path of broken branches behind her.

"Besides, I really wouldn't want to find myself that close to your body. I just might achieve the impossible and catch something deadly."

Esme growled in rage and ran towards him. Blinded by her emotions, she tried to bite him—she didn't care where her bite landed as long as it left a mark and caused him pain—but he used her own momentum against her and caught her in a deadlock, avoiding her sharp teeth.

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "You must be a really good fuck to make so many males chase after you, but you're a little too used up for my own taste."

She snarled at him, struggling to break free from his hold. "Let me go, you son of a bitch!"

Carlisle bit down, hard, on her shoulder, making sure that he made his point. "You're one to talk," he spat. "Now leave before I forget that I was raised as a gentleman." He shoved her away from him, sending her stumbling forward. Had she had the coordination of a human, she would have fallen flat on her face.

Thoroughly humiliated, hurt, and more than a little furious, Esme stared at him. "You _will_ be sorry!"

"I already am."

Realizing that the best course of action would be to retreat, she pivoted and flew away from the small valley. No one had ever humiliated her as he just had. It was his fault that the Volturi brothers had thrown her away from Italy and into the hands of an abusive coven. It was his fault that she had suffered for years before escaping.

_He will pay._

o.O.o

That was only the first of many times in which Alice's guidance proved useful to Carlisle. As skeptical as he was at their first meeting, he quickly learned that while her advice might be vague sometimes, and her motives were not always clear, Alice was honest and loyal.

She explained to him that her visions were not definite; she could only see those who were dear to her, and even then, she could only see snippets of possible outcomes. However, she never let the burden of her talent or her gruesome human life spent in an asylum affect her spirits. She was a very positive person with a passion for fashion. Carlisle had asked her once why she found fashion to be so incredibly fascinating. The answer was one that he couldn't help but agree with—in the never-ending existence of a vampire, there were very few changes to be witnessed, even for one who led a nomadic lifestyle, but fashion was something that constantly changed and evolved. Focusing on the rapid twists in trends that even her talent couldn't always keep up with, Alice had found her niche.

Jasper was her complete opposite in many ways—a quiet, hidden fountain as opposed to her raging rapids—but he complemented her well. Carlisle could see why those two fit so well together. Slowly but surely, their presence in his life mended his broken spirit. He never did return to the carefree, naïve creature that he had been before Italy, but he was no longer the angry, bitter, cynical vampire that he had come to know after.

He put Esme out of his mind—finally being able to call her by her name—and tried his best to put a lock on those miserable memories. He even reconnected with Marcus again, who wisely kept their conversations away from anything related to the incident.

A few years after their first meeting, Alice and Jasper left to spend a year on their own, taking a tour around Europe and Asia. Carlisle used that opportunity to make a trip to Italy to visit Marcus. It was the first time in over a century that he had been able to set foot on Italian ground. He wasn't about to force himself to return to Volterra, so the two scholars spent several days in Bologna discussing the latest advances in science. Not a word was spoken about the past.

o.O.o

Alucard had always taken great pleasure in torturing his victims. It was not just the physical torture that he looked forward to—although a good round of whipping could always brighten up a boring day—it was the mental torture that he anticipated the most.

He would stalk his chosen victims, learn everything there was to know about them, and then slowly tear their lives apart. He would hurt them where they were the most vulnerable by killing the people that they cared the most about, and in the end, when the victim had nothing left, Alucard took pleasure in breaking their spirit—the final asset they had left on this earth. Oh, he would kill his victims eventually, but the breaking of their spirits was always the sweetest moment in his game. He lived to see that look in their eyes, that expression on their faces when they realized there was nothing left, that he had taken everything away from them, and that he had had fun while doing so.

Alucard's masterpiece had been Maria. She was a young Catholic noblewoman, the daughter of a wealthy family by the name of Renard, when he first met her in the middle of the sixteenth century. She had been so pure and loved by her family, so protected and sheltered, that he had felt as though God himself had placed her on the face of this earth as a plaything for him.

He followed her for several months, studying her habits. He appeared at every ball and soiree she attended, making sure to dance with her at least once at every opportunity. He courted her like a lover, followed her like a stalker, and played with her like a bored child with a new toy.

When he was certain that he knew enough about her, he began killing the nabobs that had courted her. He left notes addressed to her on their bodies, always containing the exact same words— _Soon, my Maria_ —written in his elegant script, and he made arrangements for a bouquet of blood-red roses to be sent to her house on each occasion. He always attached the embroidered handkerchief of his latest victim to the flowers and relished in the panic written all over her face when her servants brought her yet another token of his affection.

The rumor spread through the polite society in a matter of days. After the third murder, Maria and her family were forced to move to the countryside. He followed them there, killing her chambermaid on the first night in Bath.

With rattled nerves, Maria turned to her priest. Thinking that she was being haunted by demons, she begged the holy man for help. Alucard killed the poor bastard and nailed his body to the church's cross for all to see on the following Sunday. The congregation had been so terrified that neither Maria nor any of her family members were ever allowed to set foot inside that church again.

A week after the murder of her priest, Maria woke up to find the dead bodies of her parents in the breakfast room, nailed to the chairs. Alucard was extremely pleased to see that she was so hysterical that the doctor had to be summoned to administer a shot.

After her parent's funerals, she was transferred to a monastery that was little more than an asylum for the mentally ill, and Alucard followed her there, posing as one of the asylum's nighttime workers. He found it humorous that he, a demon, a creature of the night, wore a monk's robe and sandals, walking along the hallways of the monastery just as one of the humans would.

At night, he listened to her crying in her sleep and knew that when he made her cry for him when he tortured her, it would be twice as satisfying a sound. He left drawings of her sleeping for her to find in the mornings and killed any nuns that showed Maria any kindness until she pushed everyone away on her own. He wanted her isolated, terrified, and ripe for the picking. He wanted to see how long she would last before there was no more fun to be had by torturing her psychologically, and then it would be time to move on to the next step—the physical pleasure to be had from her pain.

He backed away a little, letting several weeks pass without making his presence known and watched her grow confident, and just when she began to sleep a little better at night, he surprised her, soaking her white nightgown with blood. Maria screamed so loud that the entire monastery came running to see her ripping her clothes from her body and tearing at her own skin until she was bleeding. He smirked when he saw the doctor sedate her time after time, just so she could be transferred back to her bed and be restrained there. She would wear restraints for him as well, he thought, and soon.

A year to the day after their first dance, Alucard finally made his move. Taking her from her asylum room, he brought her to his mansion, into the dungeon he had worked so very hard on during the preceding months to decorate for her.

And she screamed.

Even centuries later, he still felt a shiver of pleasure go down his spine when he recalled the way she had screamed that first time he had plunged into her body, tearing her from the inside, and later, when he took her from behind while she was tied to a medieval torture table. The way her eyes sparkled with fury, hurt, and shame served only to fuel his desire. He slapped her, drawing blood when the ring he wore on his finger cut her cheek. He lapped at the flowing blood and rammed harder into her body as she screamed for the Lord to save her, to have mercy on her.

Alucard kept her tied to that table for another seven days, until the fight was gone from her eyes, until he could find no more pleasure to be had in taking her no-longer-virginal body on every possible occasion. When he played with her, there was no more fight left in her; she had retreated so deep into her mind that she would no longer see him, no longer feel his touch, and where was the fun in that?

He untied her then, bathed her, and dressed her in soft silk. He took her out of the dungeon and brought her to a bedroom of her own on the second floor of the mansion. He smiled viciously when he sent one of his female minions to care for her and allowed her to start recovering slowly. He kept his distance, made sure that she was cared for, watched and waiting until he saw her regain some of her spirit back. Then he came to her again. In the middle of the night, he tore the covers away from her and basked in the terror he saw in her eyes.

She did not scream as loudly on that night as she did the first time, but she still put up a fight when he held her down and forced himself inside her body. She begged and pleaded, cried and cursed, but eventually, much sooner than he would have liked, she gave in. He saw that moment when she finally gave up and just lay there beneath him, unresponsive. At that moment, when she closed her eyes and the last of her spirit left her, he climaxed, roaring his pleasure at finally breaking her. She was his—body, mind, and soul.

Once he recovered from the powerful release, he decided to grant immortality to his masterpiece. His plaything had pleased him in a way he had not been pleased in a long while, and in his mind, she deserved the gift of immortality. He bit into her neck and drank, draining her almost to the point where her heart failed. Then he slit his own wrist and placed it next to her lips. She was unresponsive at first, just lying beneath him while his blood dripped into her mouth, but as soon as she ingested the first gulp of his powerful essence, she latched onto his wrist like a babe to its mother's teat. Not wanting her to become a mindless minion, he repeated the process again when she awoke a day later, allowing her to drink from him as he drank from her, sealing their bond as sire and childe—one that, although sounded similar to parent and child, was more like that of servant and master by its nature.

She was absolutely crazy and absolutely his. Her viciousness was eclipsed only by his own, and he was the proudest of fathers. She was his favorite partner in bed, and even in her immortal life, he loved using the whip on her back and licking the blood from her skin. However, he did not mind sharing her. There were many times when he sat aside and watched as others used her body, sometimes even two or three males at a time. She obeyed him without question, eager to please her master like a mindless puppy, and in his mind that was exactly what she was—a loyal pet. Therefore, when one night she did not return, he went looking for her. He found out that a new Slayer had come to town and assumed that his pet had become dust at her hands. He was sorry to lose such a nice plaything, and he did kill the Slayer to punish her for her crime, but it was not an earthshattering loss. There were other playthings in the world.

o.O.o

_London, England, 1982_

Taking the Watcher's diaries was something Alucard did on a whim—the Slayer had escaped him, so it was only fitting that he should get something for his trouble—but as he read through the dated pages, he realized that he had just stumbled upon a hidden treasure. The possibilities that he could now picture before his eyes were amazing. It would take careful planning and a great deal of time, but Alucard was no stranger to planning, and time was something he had in abundance.

He closed the diary he was reading and moved on to the next one. It had last year's date printed in gold on the cover, and its pages were less yellow than the page of the previous diaries. There was much less content in this diary, but the latest entry had him grinning like a fool—the kind of smile he used when he found a new plaything, a new prey to chase. The minion that entered the room at that moment stopped in his tracks and smirked in excitement at the sight of his Master's smile. Exciting times were to come.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	5. A Deal with the Devil

**Chapter Five - A Deal with the Devil**

_Phoenix, Arizona, Sunday, September 14, 1998_

It was a day after her eighteenth birthday, but Isabella was in no mood for celebrations. Her thoughts were much too somber for her to care about her birthday. In the past few days, following her discovery of the vampire stealing the amulet, Stewart had thrown himself into his research, and every discovery he had made had given Isabella new reasons to worry. The amulet had turned out to be even more powerful than either of them had initially thought—not only was it capable of protecting the wearer from the deadly effects of the sun, it also amplified the wearer’s strength by tenfold and rendered every possible weapon useless against him. It was definitely bad news where Isabella was concerned.

Carly had turned out to be surprisingly useful. She had great enthusiasm for all things technological, and while Stewart often referred to the computer as a ‘dread machine’—most likely because it induced that specific emotion in him every time he was forced to use it—Carly treated the new technological additions to the library as no more terrifying than a new book from her favorite author.

The Watcher was all too happy to leave the computer handling to Carly. He had gotten along fine with his books alone for many years, and he was very suspicious of this new invasion into his life. However, just like his Slayer, Stewart had little time for festivities. He was even more worried than she was when it came to the amulet. The only comfort he had found was when an acquaintance of his had contacted him that morning. The man, Eliot “Mac” McGregor, was a well-known trafficker of items related to the occult. Stewart had had the questionable pleasure of making his acquaintance a year ago, when Mac first moved into the area and managed to get himself into trouble with the local Vampire Master of the time—Caleb.

Stewart never found out what reasons Caleb had had for wanting Mac dead, but the new contact proved worthy of the effort when a few months later he provided Stewart with several rare volumes containing some very important prophecies. Upon deciphering them, Stewart and Ella had been able to stop the world from ending on more than one occasion; therefore, Mac, despite his questionable occupation, had proven to be a valuable asset.

The news Mac had given Stewart that morning was, potentially, the breakthrough they had been looking for, and Stewart asked that Mac come by his apartment to discuss matters further. It had come to Mac’s attention that Alucard—the new Master Vampire in Phoenix—was looking for a specific book, and it just so happened to be that Mac had that exact book in his possession. Stewart might have laughed at the expression, since he was certain there was no coincidence involved in Mac’s ownership of the book, but he was in no laughing mood.

Stewart was also certain that once Alucard heard that Mac had the book he needed—the one containing the exact spell he required for the activation of the amulet’s power—the vampire would waste no time in obtaining it by all means possible. Therefore, after talking to Ella, Stewart offered Mac to set up a trap for Alucard. Unsurprisingly, Mac did not like that idea at all, mostly since it would put him straight in harm’s way.

“Fine!” Isabella eventually shouted, frustrated by the unconcealed cowardice of the man. “Just set up the meeting with Alucard and then come back here. You won’t have to be anywhere near the meeting place itself.”

Mac’s mood seemed to brighten immediately.

“Ella, are you certain of this course of action?” Stewart asked, frowning.

He may have been concerned, but Stewart was just as eager as his Slayer was to complete this transaction. He knew that getting the book with the activation spell would hinder Alucard and, thus, give them time to—hopefully—find a way to destroy the amulet before Alucard could use it.

“I’m the Slayer, Stew. I can take care of myself,” she replied with a shrug. “Try setting the meeting to be as soon as possible, Mac. Hell, tell Alucard’s pets that you have another buyer, for all I care,” she said to the scruffy-looking smuggler. “Now, where is the book?” Mac might have proven to be useful in the past, but that did not mean Isabella was going to trust him without making sure that he could provide the authentic book before stepping inside the lion’s den.

“It’s in a safe place,” he answered.

“And where might that safe place be?” Stewart asked, folding his arms across his chest and giving the man a pointed glare.

“Somewhere that is safe.” Mac grinned, clearly stating that he had no intention of revealing the location of the ancient book.

“I want you to bring it over here.” Isabella glared at him. “Before I leave for the meeting with Alucard, I want Stewart to authenticate the book, or else the deal is off.”

“That is...” the smuggler rubbed his dirty chin with an equally dirty hand, appearing to contemplate the matter as though it were a nuclear physics problem, “...acceptable.”

Isabella let out a sigh of exasperation. Stewart was able to contain himself and keep from doing the same, but just barely. Neither of them had much love for the odd-looking smuggler, who appeared to have picked out his wardrobe at the dumpster rather than at a department store. Isabella thought that had he not been so annoying, she might have felt sorry for him.

“I will be expecting to hear from you soon.” Stewart’s voice was equal parts calm and threatening.

Mac gave him a quick nod and made his way to the front door. “I’ll call you as soon as I have the meeting set.” He opened the door and slid through it.

“You better,” Stewart murmured under his breath after Mac had left.

“Yeah, he better.”

Stewart had almost forgotten that Ella’s hearing was so much sharper than any other human’s, so he was momentarily surprised that she had heard him. As a human, one would be at a disadvantage when facing a vampire, but as the Slayer, Ella’s senses were enhanced and her physical strength was as superior as any other vampire’s was over a regular human.

“Are you sure about this, Ella?” he asked again. This time the concern coloring his tone was much more profound.

“I don’t really see another way.” She sat down on the couch and looked up at him. “I don’t want Alucard getting his hands on that book, and if there’s a way for me to stop that from happening—”

“You’ll take it, I know.” He came over and sat beside her on the couch. “Just...be careful, please?”

“Aren’t I always?” she asked playfully.

_Not really,_ he thought to himself.

o.O.o

Mac came through with his promise less than two hours after he had left. He appeared on Stewart’s doorstep thirty minutes before the set time of the meeting with Alucard, which was scheduled to an hour before sunset.

Isabella had to use Carly as backup to get out of the house, telling her parents that she was going with her friend to the library to work on a History paper. She chose her most tattered clothing so that she could impersonate Mac, at least from a distance, and changed into them after getting to Stew’s house—Renée would have had a heart attack had she seen Isabella leaving the house dressed like a homeless person.

Isabella knew that she wouldn’t be able to fool Alucard for long in the outfit—he would sense her as soon as she was close enough—but the clothes would fool most of his goons long enough to allow her to shove a stake through their hearts.

Stewart verified the authenticity of the book within minutes, and so Isabella left the two men waiting in her Watcher’s apartment and headed off to the abandoned office building where she was hoping to ambush Alucard and take him down, once and for all.

The plan was simple, and while Stewart continued to rub the living daylight out of his glasses, he eventually stopped arguing with her after the third time she gave him a glare. Carly got them the meeting place’s building plans by means that were somewhat less than legal, which had possibly included breaking into the City Hall’s computer system.

Carly and Isabella, along with Stewart and Mac—who was to remain in the Watcher’s apartment until he was assured that it was safe to go back to his own place—came up with the best location from which Isabella could take down Alucard with her crossbow. Carly left just shortly before Isabella did. Her foster parents wanted her home for dinner, and Isabella thought that her new friend would be safe enough in her own house.

Walking down the darkening streets of Phoenix, Isabella was well aware that tonight she was risking everything. She didn’t dare share those thoughts with Stew, knowing that he was thinking along similar lines and that had he been able to see the doubt in her eyes, he would have done anything and everything to stop her from going. She took comfort in the weapons that she was carrying—a crossbow in her hands, crucifixes, bottles of holy water, and stakes that were attached to every imaginable part of her body. Some were so well hidden that even Stewart, who had witnessed the weapons disappear from the table, could not believe that she had them all on her person.

She chose to approach the office building from the rooftops rather than from street-level, where she could have easily been detected. Two things stood in her favor: the element of surprise and the low IQ of the minions Alucard had created. However, there was one element that was stacked highly against her—Alucard himself.

A vampire as old as Alucard was powerful not only because of the knowledge he had acquired over the years but also because of the large amount of vampires he had sired. His strength and power increased vastly with each generation of vampires his children created. Isabella, and the other Slayers before her, may have put a dent in his power, but it wasn’t enough to weaken him significantly. He was an old demon to begin with, and the human he once was had been a powerful sorcerer in his own right. The combination of the two had produced one of the most feared vampires in the world. He would be a formidable opponent, and Isabella knew—even though she had pushed that knowledge to the very back of her mind—that tonight might very well be her last night on earth. _At least I made it to my eighteenth birthday,_ she thought solemnly. _Not many Slayers did that before me_.

Mac had said that Alucard had agreed to meet him alone, and while she had no reason to think that Mac was lying, she knew that Alucard probably did. Her suspicions were confirmed when about a mile away from her destination, she came across one of Alucard’s minions. It was a relatively young vampire—Isabella recognized the body the demon had occupied as one belonging to a man who had disappeared a month ago. She always tried to do her best to differentiate the demon from the person whose body it had possessed, especially when it came to people whom she had known when they were alive. It was easier that way, for her, to see them as her enemy and to drive a stake through their heart. When she didn’t think that she was killing the cop her father had worked with but the demon that had killed that cop and then taken residence in his body, she didn’t feel like such a murderer. Vampires were soulless monsters. They killed and then infected the body with another demon. The soul of that person was gone forever. It might have been a somewhat simplified way of looking at it, but it was true, and it helped her cope with her duties as a Slayer.

Isabella dusted two more minions as she grew closer to the target building. They were older than the first one and more trained at detecting her, but they were still relatively easy to dispose of. A thought crossed her mind then, about how inadequate these so-called guard-dogs Alucard had placed to keep watch were, but she banished it away, focusing instead on the mission in front of her. She knew that she would need every bit of her inner strength and sharpness of mind if she wanted to kill Alucard tonight. Morbid as it might have seemed to an outsider, she would accept her own death if it meant that she took the Vampire Master with her. If her death would mean that countless lives—including those of her Watcher, parents, and the only friend she had who she did not have to lie to—could be saved, then it was worth it.

Things were still too quiet when she approached the roof of a warehouse from which she could observe the building that Alucard had decided on. There were no more minions, no humans; the place appeared to be deserted. She watched for several minutes, waiting to see if anyone approached, and when there was still no change, she entered the building.

Empty.

There wasn’t a living soul—or a dead demon—in sight.

Something wasn’t right.

Isabella could feel her stomach getting all knotted up, and a sensation of dread spread over her. The only thing that she couldn’t sense was Alucard—or any other vampire, for that matter—and that was the only feeling she was looking for. It was the only feeling that would prove to her that she wasn’t in the wrong place and that there wasn’t something terribly wrong with the entire plan. However, as the minutes ticked by, she became certain that something was absolutely, beyond any reasonable doubt, positively wrong. _This has to be a trap_ , she thought, _but for whom? There was no ambush here._ Exiting the building, she started making her way back to Stewart’s apartment. She cut through several dark alleys, not caring about anything other than getting back as soon as possible, and her speed increased as another thought became apparent to her; it _was_ a trap, but it was not meant for _her_.

_Stewart!_

Isabella ran back as fast as her feet would carry her. _Faster_ , she thought, _I have to move faster, damn it!_

She pushed herself to her limit, running much faster than any other human being possibly could, but it was still not fast enough. The sense of dread, the knotting of her insides, and the fear spreading through every corner of her body all told her that it was too late. _She_ was too late.

She could smell the blood even before she entered the apartment building where Stewart lived. The door was unlocked, and when she burst into the living room, her cry of pain was barely muffled by the hand that flew to cover her mouth in horror. There—on the living room floor—lay Stewart’s body in a pool of blood. Panting, tears streaming down her face, she collapsed next to him. With shaking fingers, she searched for a pulse, already knowing that she wouldn’t find one.

“No, please, no,” she whispered. She tried again and again, checking his wrists and neck, begging God and every other deity that might have listened to her, but nothing changed. “Please don’t leave me...” Her head hung low as her tears fell on the still body of her Watcher.

_This is all my fault,_ she thought. _I left him alone here, unprotected._

The sound of clapping hands reached her ears at the same time as the tingle at the back of her neck drew her attention to his presence. She jumped to her feet, a stake sliding into her palm in on instinct, and searched for him in the darkness of the apartment.

“Show yourself, you coward!” she shouted. “Stop being a bloody scaredy-cat and fight like a man.”

“I haven’t been a man in a very long time.” Alucard’s whispered answer came from behind her. “And I am no coward. You know that, Ella.”

“Don’t you dare use that name!” she threatened through clenched teeth. “You _are_ a coward! You had to set up a trap, just to get me out of here, because you’re afraid of me!”

Alucard laughed and walked into the living room. The girl was obviously distressed, and while he could see that the emotions were lying heavy on her shoulders, she still had spirit and a lot of fight left in her. He liked that. She would prove to be an interesting opponent one day, but today would not be it; she still had a role to play for him.

“Did you ever wonder who gave you those beautiful blue eyes of yours?” he asked in a soft, calm tone.

She was taken aback by that. Her adrenaline was running high still, and while rationally she knew that it wouldn’t be smart to provoke him, emotionally she felt too enraged to care at that moment. She lunged at him, aiming for his heart, and missed him by mere inches.

Alucard smirked. He did not allow himself to feel rattled just because she had gotten so close. _She is driven by her anger_ , he thought, _anger and adrenaline_. He could use that to his benefit, but he knew he had to be careful, or else he would achieve nothing.

“The people whom you call parents, they both have brown eyes, do they not?” He knew that mentioning them would rattle her even more, and it was just too good of an opportunity to twist the metaphorical knife in her heart to pass it by.

“Don’t you dare!” she spat the words in fury. “You have no right to even _mention_ my parents, you demon!”

“Why, thank you.”

He dodged yet another attack from her. This time he didn’t step away; instead, he pinned her to the wall, holding one hand over her throat and using the other to keep her right wrist—and the stake she was holding in that hand—away from him. “I did not come here to kill you,” he said, receiving a mocking laugh from her. “And while I wouldn’t mind bashing you around a little, I don’t have the time for this.”

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about, but then she heard it—the sirens. They were getting close.

“It’s okay,” she said. “It only takes a second for you to _die_.”

She tried to release herself from his hold, but he was too strong and her mind wasn’t focused enough for her body to gather all of its strength.

“Everything you know, everything you _think_ you know,” he tightened the grip of the hand holding her throat, “everything you’ve been told, it’s all a lie.” He stared into her blue eyes with another satisfied smirk at the storm of emotions reflecting there.

“You know, you talk a lot for someone who says he hasn’t got time.” Despite the pressure on her throat and the resulting hindrance to her breathing, she was unable to stop herself from taunting him.

He pressed his body against hers, allowing her to feel the effect her struggle was having on his body. He might have been dead for centuries, but he was still a male, and having a warm body rubbing against him would cause a reaction. He relished in the spike of fear he saw in her eyes. This was so much sweeter than he had imagined.

“Haven’t you ever wondered where you came from?” he asked as he brought his face that much closer to hers. The smell of her powerful blood was almost too tempting. Almost. However, he had something else he wanted, and if he were to succumb to his desires now, it would take him back years, even decades, and he was not willing to wait that long, not again.

“Are you honestly trying to give me the ‘birds and the bees’ talk?” she quipped. “Didn’t picture you as the fatherly type, Al.”

“Oh, I don’t think you would like my version of playing Daddy,” he whispered, desire and rage mixing together in his tone.

He could picture himself very clearly playing with her, spanking her, whipping her, seeing her skin turn red and then licking the blood off it...He smirked when he saw the fear spike in her eyes again. She smelled even more tempting with fear flavoring her bloodstream.

“Taunting me is not a smart thing to do, little girl. If you are going to provoke the demon, you must be ready for it to come out and play.” His tone was seductive, but the words—and the implication behind them—sent chills down her spine.

Isabella looked into his face with disgust. She had to admit that he was a very handsome man—his blue eyes were darkened with desire, his features strong and manly, and his white hair only added to the appeal—but the ugliness of his deeds was too overpowering for her to feel anything but contempt and hatred for him.

Her fingers tightened around the stake in her right hand. He was so focused on her verbal reactions and on the effect that her body was having on him that she thought she could take advantage of that.

_One mistake,_ she thought. _All I need from him is one mistake._

As sick as it had made her, she began rubbing herself against him again, intentionally.

“Your demon doesn’t scare me.” She was going for seductive, but the words came out borderline spiteful.

Alucard laughed at her attempt at distracting him. “I have centuries of experience, little girl. You are way out of your league.” He smirked when he saw the anger and disappointment fill her eyes. They were really too revealing for her own good, he noted. “I would love to teach you, but I have somewhere I have to be.”

He was gone before even her quick instincts could react, and she was left standing there in the middle of Stewart’s living room, stunned and hurting.

o.O.o

Isabella was able to make a quick getaway from Stewart’s apartment building only seconds before the police arrived at the scene. She could not allow herself to be found there, not when she had lied to her parents about her whereabouts, and not when there was no way for her to explain her presence to the cops.

Feeling as though there was a ten-ton weight on her chest, she made her way through the back alleys and headed towards the worst part of town. As much as she didn’t want to be doing this, as much as she wished that she could just go home, crawl under her blanket, and cry herself to sleep, she had something to do first. Before she allowed herself to fall apart, there was one more place she had to visit.

The small shack at the edge of town looked almost as bad as its owner did when she had last seen him. The lights in Mac’s house were off, but the streetlamps provided enough dim lighting for her to be able to see the inside of the house. She was not terribly surprised to smell the nauseating scent of death, nor was she shocked to see Mac’s body lying in the middle of a messy room. She had suspected that he was dead even before leaving Stewart’s apartment—Mac had tried to manipulate one vampire too many. She found the door unlocked and a doormat with the word “Welcome” written on it at the doorstep. She was surprised by that; she didn’t picture Mac to be that stupid—a demon could not enter the house of a living creature without an invitation from its residents, but a doormat such as the one Mac had took care of that problem.

The house was a complete mess, but she couldn’t tell if it was due to a search made by Mac’s murderer or if this was simply the normal state he had kept it in. Deciding that there was nothing she could do there, she turned on her heels and walked home. She didn’t know how it was that Alucard had managed to gain access to Stewart’s home, since he had definitely not been invited there, but she suspected that it wasn’t too hard a task for a vampire with his level of knowledge of the dark magic.

It was well past one in the morning when she finally crawled into her bed after having a scorching-hot shower that didn’t really wash any of her guilt away. She cried herself to sleep, unable to prevent the tears from falling or her heart from clenching painfully in her chest.

_If only I hadn’t left him. If only I hadn’t gone to meet Alucard. If only I hadn’t underestimated the old vampire. If only..._

Her guilt was choking her, and she knew that her eyes would be puffy in the morning, but for once, she did not care. There was not enough room inside of her to worry about having to lie to her parents yet again.

She slept surprisingly well, and if she had nightmares—she did not remember them the following morning. Waking up at around ten, she found the house to be very quiet. A trip down the stairs and a glance out the window told her that both of her parents should be home—her father’s cruiser was parked behind her mother’s car in the driveway. However, while on a normal Sunday her father would have been in the dining room, drinking his first coffee and going over the newspaper, he wasn’t there. Her mother loved to sleep in on the weekends, but her father was rarely asleep after nine am, and even that only happened after a night shift, which Isabella knew he didn’t have the night before, since she had seen his car in the driveway when she arrived home last night.

Dread filled her veins with ice as she climbed up the stairs and turned towards her parents’ master bedroom. Opening the door quietly, so as not to disturb her mother and father, she peeked inside. They were both in bed; her father lay on his back, and her mother lay on her side, curled into him. They appeared to be sleeping.

It wasn’t until a few moments later that she realized they were both too pale and too still.

And then she screamed.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	6. Sins

**Chapter Six - Sins**

_Phoenix, Arizona,_ _Thursday, September 24, 1998_

Isabella felt partially numb as she stood over her parents’ graves. She didn’t listen to the priest; she ignored the chatter around her. She just shut herself down. There was only one thing going through her mind—vengeance. She knew _exactly_ who was responsible for her parents’ murder. She didn’t need the whispered snippets of conversations she had overheard to know that they had both been drained of blood and that there had been no signs of a struggle. She also knew that the police investigation of her parents’ murders would go cold long before their graves were even covered. There was no one who could give her justice but herself, and she was going to make sure that she did just that.

Isabella waited until nightfall. When all of the guests had left the house and she was finally left alone, she went up to her room. At eighteen, she was considered too old to have to be placed into foster care, and since her parents had no known living next of kin, she didn’t have to worry about being bothered by any meddlesome—yet sympathetic—distant relatives. She took out the large chest that she kept at the back of her closet and opened it. The top tray held nothing out of the ordinary, just regular stuff one would expect to find in the possession of a teenager: some nail polish, hair bands, and a few of her school mementos; but underneath it all was a hidden compartment, containing an arsenal of weapons: stakes, crossbow bolts, crosses, and bottles of holy water. After equipping herself from head to toe with deadly weaponry, Isabella stopped by the kitchen to pick up a box of matches and several bottles of alcohol before leaving the house.

She made a short stop at Carly’s house—at her bedroom, to be exact. Just like on the night her parents had died, tonight Isabella was ready to accept her impending death if it meant that she took Alucard down with her. However, she didn’t want to leave without at least saying goodbye to her one and only friend.

Despite that, Isabella didn’t actually want to talk to Carly. She knew that Carly would try to talk her out of what was essentially a suicide mission, so, instead of talking, she left a note on Carly’s bed and slid back out through the window.

The first thing Isabella had to do was find out where the Son of a Bitch was hiding—a task that proved to be much easier than she had expected it to be. The first vampire she met was all too willing to spew the information in exchange for his life. Isabella agreed to his suggestion, and after getting what she needed, she shoved a stake through his heart.

 _Yes, I lied,_ she thought as the vampire exploded into dust. _It’s not the worst of my crimes._

o.O.o

Isabella approached the mansion from the rooftops. After getting close enough, she used the alcohol she had brought as an accelerant and set fire to the perimeter around the building before entering the house through the second floor balcony.

Panic erupted in the Master Vampire’s lair as the fire spread. The minions, although not the brightest creatures to ever walk the earth, sensed the Slayer’s wrath and ran for their lives. Isabella used her stakes as throwing weapons and dusted as many of them as she could, waiting for their leader to make his appearance. She didn’t have to wait long, though, mere moments after starting the fire, Alucard showed up from what she assumed to be the basement and roared, “What the hell is going on here?”

“M—m—master, there’s fire...” one of the minions stammered. He didn’t even get to finish his sentence. At the sight of his master’s furious face, the young vampire made a mad dash for the nearest exit.

“Alucard!” Isabella shouted from her position on the second floor.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t our little Slayer.” Alucard smirked. “Did you come to play, Kitten?”

Her rage flared. “I came for your hide, bastard!”

“That I am.” He sounded almost bored. It was as though the fire that was beginning to eat at the mansion was invisible to him. “If you wanted a pet, Kitten, all you had to do was ask,” he said seductively as he jumped up and landed a short distance away from her.

“I knew you were too much of a coward to answer me if I issued you a challenge.”

His answer came in the form of a fist thrown toward her face. Fueled by her emotions, she didn’t even feel the blow. She responded with a flurry of adrenaline-enhanced punches and kicks, letting her fury guide her attack.

Alucard found himself, surprisingly, struggling in the fight against the Slayer. She was able to land more than a few good kicks, and he could hear—and feel—more than one of his ribs cracking, while she had barely sustained anything more than a cut above her cheek from the ring he wore on his left hand. Adrenaline and rage had turned her into an even more dangerous opponent than he had initially considered her to be.

The fire was rapidly closing in on them. Debris was falling around them, but Isabella was too focused on her opponent to care about her surroundings. The horde of minions had already fled the rapidly burning mansion, leaving their master to fight the Slayer on his own. Loyalty to their sire was set aside in favor of self-preservation.

Suddenly, as they fought their way down from the balcony, the stairs gave way beneath their feet, sending them both falling down amidst the wreckage. The collapse was followed by a heavy wooden beam falling between the two enemies, and that granted Alucard a moment to re-strategize. He could smell the heavy smoke in the air and knew that he needed to get out of the burning building sooner rather than later, or else he might end up as a pile of ashes.

He made a move toward one of the windows that was not yet engulfed by the fire, but he was cut short by a strong punch to his left side.

Isabella quickly followed her punch with a kick to the side of his knee. Had she not been completely focused on the fight, she would have smirked at the sickening sound of crunching bone that resulted.

Alucard fell and rolled to the side, barely avoiding a well-aimed punch from the Slayer. His survival had become the prominent issue on his mind. It was something he had not expected to occur this early in the game—or at any point at all—but he would simply have to adapt.

He hadn’t made it this long without having honed an ability to adapt. His bones would heal quickly once he got some blood into him, but first he had to make sure that neither the fire—nor the Slayer, for that matter—ended him.

“Coward!” Isabella taunted as she watched the old vampire trying to crawl away from her.

She jumped aside as yet another piece of debris fell from the top floor, and she noticed that her crossbow, which she had dropped during her fall, was only two feet away from her. Jumping over a pile of rubble, she rolled onto her side and grabbed the weapon.

Standing up, she searched for Alucard amongst the quickly darkening air and located him under one of the windows.

“Hey, Al! Goin’ somewhere?”

The vampire’s head perked up at the sound of her voice, and he growled in annoyance.

“It’s time to put you to sleep, dog.” She squeezed the trigger and heard a pained cry coming from her parents’ murderer as the arrow hit him.

The cracking sound of the fire eating away at the house was the only sound left in the crumbling mansion. Another beam broke just then, and Isabella only barely escaped being hit by the burning wood. She scanned her surroundings one more time, reaching out with her senses to feel if there was anything supernatural in the vicinity. And when she couldn’t detect anything, she sighed.

 _Alucard is dead_ , she thought with satisfaction, _but so will I be if I don’t get out of here soon!_

She ran out of the mansion, fighting the heat and debris to reach the outside. Her will to live had awoken as soon as she had seen that the demon that had killed her parents was going to pay for his sins with his own life.

o.O.o

Isabella was tired, dirty, and on the verge of tears when she walked through the front door of her now empty house, but there was a newfound peace within her.

 _Justice was served,_ she thought as she closed the door behind her. She didn’t bother locking it. A locked door wouldn’t stop a supernatural being anyway, and any vampire stupid enough to show up on her doorstep tonight would suffer a most painful beating before she granted him death by stake.

However, as her front door _was_ forcefully flung open, revealing a seething Carly, Isabella realized that there was one possibility that she hadn’t thought about—that of a pissed off _human_ barging in on her.

“Are you out of your freaking mind?” Carly screeched.

Isabella couldn’t hide her smile as she turned to look at the obviously furious face of her newfound best friend. “And hello to you, too, Carly.”

Carly slammed the door behind her and marched angrily toward the Slayer. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? What the hell were you thinking?” She poked a finger at Isabella’s chest to enunciate her words. “I didn’t know if I’d ever get to see you again, you idiot!” Tears were spilling from her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Isabella whispered, unable to hold back her own tears.

Had it been anyone else poking and yelling at her, Isabella would have quickly thrown them out of the house; but this was Carly, and she knew that the only reason her friend was screaming at her was because she was genuinely worried about her.

“Don’t you _ever_ do something like that again.” The words were supposed to be harsh and commanding, but they came out as a harsh whisper as Carly pulled Ella into a tight hug, and both girls held each other, sobbing.

It was the first time that Isabella had let herself fall apart since the morning in which she had found the bodies of her parents. For Carly, it was the relief of finding her friend alive when she had feared—after reading the note that Ella had left for her—that she would never see her again that caused the tears to flow.

The girls ended up in Isabella’s bedroom, and after calming down a bit, Isabella told Carly what had happened earlier that night with Alucard in his mansion.

“So, is he dead?” Carly asked. She got the first real smile from Isabella in over a week’s time. “I mean ‘dust’ dead, not ‘walking the earth with bad breath’ dead.”

“Walking the earth with bad breath?” Isabella giggled. “Haven’t heard it put quite like that before! But yes, he’s dust.”

“I really want to slap you for going on that suicide mission, you know,” Carly said in a much more serious tone.

“It would have probably hurt you more than me.” Isabella smiled, unoffended.

“Probably,” Carly mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Just promise me something.”

“What?”

“Never, and I do mean _never_ , do anything like that again.” Carly looked down at her own lap, and in a much quieter voice added, “You are the only friend I’ve got. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me.” Isabella hugged her friend tightly. _Not if I can help it_. “Okay, how about we forget about monsters for one night and just have a little fun?” she suggested after a few moments. “I mean, Alucard is dead, right? I say we party!”

Carly laughed. “Let me call my foster parents and tell them I’m staying over. You can pick the movie.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to make themselves some popcorn, arrange a ton of cushions, and pop the movie into the VCR. They settled in for a fun girls-only night.

o.O.o

Sitting in a luxurious leather couch on the following morning, Isabella anxiously waited in the office of Mr. D. Arbel, attorney-at-law. Her parents’ funeral had only occurred twenty-four hours prior, but the reading of their will was something that Isabella had preferred to do sooner rather than later.

 _The man has some very comfortable sofas,_ she thought, relaxing further in the soft seat.

“Mr. Arbel will see you now, Miss Swan,” the secretary said, pulling her out of her reverie.

“Thank you,” she answered quietly.

Isabella followed the secretary through a set of dark wooden doors, and after declining her offer of drinks, she sat down on yet another much-too-comfortable sofa.

Mr. Arbel looked up from the papers on his desk as she sat down. He was much younger than she had expected him to be. His skin was smooth, his jaw was set firmly in a face chiseled in a way that managed to appear both welcoming and hard at the same time, and his eyes were two kind pools of the lightest blue Isabella had ever seen.

“Thank you for coming, Miss Swan.”

“Isabella, please.” Being addressed as ‘Miss Swan’ made her feel as though she was sitting in front of her high school principal after getting caught sneaking out of the school grounds.

“Very well then, Isabella. Are you ready to start?”

His tone was kind and his eyes were slightly worried as he gazed at her. She found that oddly comforting.

At her nod, he pulled out the copy of the last will and testament of Renée and Charles Swan and began reading it aloud.

Isabella was not surprised to learn that her parents had taken care of all of their financial affairs, nor was she surprised that they had made sure that the staff they had hired had been well taken care of. Her father’s line of work was one that had brought him face to face with danger too many times for him not to make sure his own affairs were in order.

When she did not understand some of the technical terminology, Mr. Arbel was very patient in explaining each and every term to her. She was slightly taken aback by the sums that she had inherited, not realizing just how well off her parents had been, but for the most part, there was nothing new about the terms of their will. She would be getting a monthly allowance from a trust fund set by her parents, and once she finished her high school education, she would gain control over it. Until then, the fund’s handling would be carried out by the Swans’ attorney—Mr. Arbel—and any large withdrawals or special requests would have to go through him.

“That is the end of their official will,” the attorney concluded.

Isabella nodded, keeping her eyes lowered to her lap as she tried to blink away her tears.

He watched the young girl before him with great attention as he read the will to her. She was very strong, but her tough exterior did not hide how much she loved and missed both her parents; he could see in her eyes just how much the loss of her parents had hurt her. He wondered how what he had to tell her next would affect her.

“There is one more thing that your parents wanted me to give you.”

Isabella’s gaze shot up. “What is it?”

Dean opened the black folder that was sitting on his table and took out a brown envelope. Opening it, he took out two folded pieces of paper and handed them to Isabella.

“What is this?” she asked curiously, taking the papers from his hands.

“Start with the top one,” he instructed. “It will provide you with all the information you need.”

She nodded and began reading the top sheet.

“I will let you have some privacy while you read it,” he said as he got up from his seat. “Call out to me once you are done.”

Her curiosity was piqued, so much so that she didn’t even wait for the attorney to leave the office before she started reading the documents.

_Dear Isabella,_

_Today is the most wonderful day of our lives. Today we welcome you to our small family. I cannot tell you how long we have waited for you, but it was worth the wait! The look in your eyes as you woke up today and the small smile that I am sure I saw on your face...those are the things that I have been waiting to see for the past five years of looking for a child to adopt._

_You are so small, and yet you have already been through so much in your short period of life. I know that we have not been privy to the entire information about your birth mother, but even the little we have heard was terrible._

_I promise you, little Bella, your father and I will forever keep you safe. I do not know what the future holds for either of us, and I know that it will not be easy to tell you all of this when you grow up. I don’t even know if I will be able to show you this letter when you get older..._

_I guess I just want you to know that we already love you with every fiber of our beings and that we welcome you with hearts full of joy._

_Your new parents,  
Renée and Charlie Swan._

The letter was dated three months after her birth, on December 17th, 1980.

Isabella stared at the letter before her, stunned. She had never taken to heart the words that Alucard had said on the night of Stewart’s murder, thinking that it was just another form of his sick and twisted game. But now, it seemed as though this letter was supporting his claim.

 _How could he have known?_ she wondered, slightly alarmed.

It was not unreasonable for Alucard to have known this—he had been, after all, one very old demon—but it appeared as though he had followed her from an early age, and that bothered her greatly.

_What could he have wanted from me? Why did he begin following me at such an early age? Did he know that I would be called as the next Slayer? No, it’s not possible. Nobody knows who the next Slayer is._

Shaking off the disturbing thought, she finally remembered that there was another piece of paper lying in front of her. Reaching for it, she opened the second letter and read,

_My dear daughter,_

_Today is your third birthday, and I can hardly believe that you are already so big! I look at your smiling face and I see a wonderful little girl that I am so proud of; words cannot express..._

_I know that you will not understand, even if I were to tell you now, but the news I received today still hurt me because I know they would hurt you, too, when you hear them. Your birth mother died a little while ago. We were not given many details, and your father is reluctant to tell me what he read in the official police record, but I do know that her death involved foul play. I ache for you, my baby, knowing that you will never be able to talk to her, never be able to see her..._

_We had never gotten a photo of your birth mother, but we did receive a letter from her when we adopted you. I know this might sound terrible to you, but I wanted to burn that letter when we first got you. I wanted to sever any ties you had to your past. We were told such horrible things about your early life that at first I thought I might be doing the right thing. But something stopped me. Today, I am glad that I kept that letter. I placed it with our attorney for safekeeping. I wish to be there for you when you open that letter. More than anything, I hope that after your father and I tell you everything, you will allow us to be there for you, to support you._

_Please remember that everything your father and I did, we did out of love._

_Your mother,  
Renée Swan._

Tears were flowing form her eyes as she read the letters several times over. The elegant script that had been her mother’s handwriting was the final drop of water that caused the sea of emotions to overflow inside her. Isabella did not know how many times she read the letters or how long she sat there alone in the attorney’s office, but eventually she was able to compose herself. Wiping away her tears, she took several deep breaths and called Mr. Arbel back into the office.

“My mother mentions a third letter...” she began, but the man was already handing her a yellowing envelope.

“This is the letter that your parents received on the day they adopted you,” he said.

Isabella nodded and slowly opened the third envelope, taking out a piece of paper and unfolding it to read the information within.

_My dearest Ella,_

_I carried you in my body for nine months, but I only had three short months to hold you in my arms. I wish that I could be there with you while you read this letter—to hold you, to comfort you, to see how beautiful you have become... Unfortunately, I can’t. My world isn’t one that is healthy for a baby, and I am not sure I will ever be able to offer you anything but darkness and violence. I want you to know that it was not an easy decision for me to make, and it wasn’t one that I had made lightly. I have thought this over countless times, and each time I had come to the realization that this is the best thing I could do for you._

_For you._

_You are the only person that I care about in this world; the only person whose needs I will forever put before my own. And although it breaks my heart, I want you to be able to have a good life, and I know that it is not something I can give you._

_I pray that your new family will always treat you right and that you will always feel loved. I hope that someday you might decide to find out what happened to me, and that when you do, you will not be disappointed in me._

_Please remember that I love you, and that it is only out of love that I have to let you go. Please be happy and live your life to its fullest._

_With love,  
your mother,  
Katerina Belmont_

Again, her eyes filled with tears. Isabella could almost feel the love and pain that were intertwined with the words penned. She felt lucky to have been so loved in her life, even though she hadn’t known this person—this person who had given her life in more ways than one. She felt grateful and humbled.

“This is a copy of your original birth certificate.” Mr. Arbel handed her a thick sheet of paper.

The official document had the names of both her parents—her _birth_ parents—written on it.  
  
Christopher Gabriel Belmont, father.  
  
Katerina Alexandra Simon, mother.  
  
She was surprised to see that the name she had been given at birth was not very different from the one she carried now—Elleanora Isabella Belmont. However, her thoughts were suddenly distracted when some of her mother’s words began to swirl in her thoughts. _My world is not safe for a baby...only darkness and violence...find out what happened to me._

Her mother hadn’t written, ‘find me’; she had written, ‘find out what happened _to_ me’.

Dean Arbel watched her expression change, and then a faint smile graced his lips. “I can see that you are already starting to piece things together,” he said softly, but her head still shot up in surprise. “There is one last thing I want you to read before I can answer your questions, Elleanora.”

Isabella felt her entire body go rigid. She could sense no evil in the man before her, but as she focused her senses on him, she could definitely sense power. _What the hell—?_

“This was written by your mother shortly before her death.” He handed her yet another piece of paper, and she took it from his hands without releasing his gaze. “Read it.”

She reached out again with her senses. There was something unnatural about him, she decided, but it was like nothing she had ever felt before. He possessed magic, but he was not a wizard—she had met one of those before and could recognize the specific vibe that their kind emanated. After several long moments of staring at him, she finally decided to open the letter. She skimmed through the first few lines, but as she saw first one and then two familiar words therein, she paused and looked up. “My mother was a—?” She could not complete the question, as she was shocked to her core.

“Yes.”

The letter was not long, and the handwriting was a lot messier than it was in her mother’s previous letter. Katerina seemed to have written this one in a hurry. After reading that her mother was being chased by the same creature that had claimed the lives of her Watcher and her adoptive parents, Isabella could understand the reason for the rush.

 _‘...do not trust the Council. They are not your friends but one of your worst enemies_ ,’ her mother wrote. ‘ _The man sitting before you is a very distant relative of our family, and he is the only one in this world that I could trust with something that is much more precious to me than my own life—you, my Ella. Ask him about the true legend of the Slayer, and let him lead you to the last part of my legacy to you. I love you.’_

Isabella lifted her gaze from the scribbled words, held back her tears, and demanded, “I want answers, and I want them now!”

Dean smiled. “Very well. What is it that you wish to ask me first?”

“Lose the patronizing tone,” she snapped. “Who are you?”

“My name is Dean Arbel. My father, and by extension _me_ , are very distant relatives of your mother. The Belmont family tree is very diverse, so I will not tire you with the exact details, but suffice it to say that we share blood.” He smiled. “I know that you can feel my power, just as I can feel yours.”

She kept her face expressionless as she listened.

“I am sure you are familiar with the Watchers’ Council’s version of the Slayer’s legend— _one girl in all the world—_ but let me tell you a different one. The beginning is very much like the one you have been told. This world, contrary to common belief, did not start out as a heaven. For thousands of years, demons walked the earth. However, slowly the world began to change, and humanity rose to power. The last demons that stayed on this earth began to integrate themselves with the humans, thus creating what you and I refer to as vampires.” Dean watched her carefully, but she did not even blink at the mention of vampires, so he continued. “During that time, there was an internal dispute in one of the oldest demon families, and one of the males killed his own sister and her mate in an attempt to gain power. Driven by revenge, the two slain demons returned to earth by possessing the bodies of two young lovers, and they set out to kill the brother that had betrayed them. Once their revenge was complete, they prepared to leave this plane and move on, but the lovers whose bodies they had possessed were not left unaffected—they both retained demonic, super-human strength, as well as sharpened senses.”

“Two slayers?” she asked, clearly doubting his story.

“Not just two.” He smirked. “From their union, seven children were born. The powerful bloodline of the demons flowed in each and every one of the seven. The children grew and married, and in turn, they had their own children. Generation after generation, the Belmont family’s bloodline grew.”

Her ears perked at the sound of the family name, and Dean smiled again.

“Yes, _your_ bloodline. However, sometime during the fifteenth century, something happened that almost wiped out the entire bloodline. The records from those days are now lost, but from the stories told, we know that a rival group rose to power, calling themselves The Watchers’ Council. They killed almost everyone from the Belmont bloodline, stealing any female under the age of three. They placed them with foster families, only to return to them later,” his face contorted with disgust, “to ‘call them to duty’ as the new Slayer. _One girl in all the world_ , and all that crap...”

“What happened to the survivors?” Isabella asked. “I assume that there were survivors, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

“The survivors spread across the world. My family fled to the east, eventually settling in what is now Israel. Two other branches survived—one in Germany, the other in the US. The Council continued to hunt us down until they were certain that none of us survived but the girls they had under their control.”

Isabella’s head was swimming with the new facts. She could not believe that Stewart— _Stewart!—_ had knowingly been a part of such a huge conspiracy. He loved her. He would never have done something that would hurt her!

Seeing the turmoil of emotions on her face, Dean said, “At any given time, there are only two people in the Council who are aware of the true history—the current chairman of the Council and his successor. It is very rare, almost unheard of, that a simple Watcher would know anything but the standard version of events as dictated by the Council. Your Watcher was not one of those rare people.”

“Of course he wasn’t!” she nearly yelled. “But something tells me that this was not the case with my mother.”

He smiled approvingly. “You are correct. Your mother’s Watcher was one of those rare few who were privy to the secret.” The scorn in his tone as he spoke of that man told Isabella that he despised him with every fiber of his being. “When your mother found out that she was pregnant, he reported it to the Council. They made plans to take you away from her, and they did. It did not matter to them that it had cost the lives of both your parents and one of their watchers to achieve this goal. They would do anything to get their hands on another Slayer!”

“So this is not a random calling, eh?” Even to her own ears, she sounded bitter.

“No, it is something that runs in your blood, Elleanora.”

She found that she liked being called by that name, so she did not bother to correct him. “Why only take the girls?”

“They thought that girls were easier to influence, and your ability to, um, _breed_ was crucial to the continuation of the line.”

“But most slayers don’t even make it past eighteen!”

“And it’s not always the demon’s fault,” he retorted.

“What?”

“You don’t need me to tell you. You already know.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her pointedly.

“The Council?”

“Yes. They aren’t squeamish when they decide that a slayer had run her course.”

“Run her course?” she nearly screamed, jumping to her feet. “You’re making it sound as though a slayer is nothing but a pet, to be tossed around when you don’t want it anymore!”

“To the Council, a single slayer can mean even less than a pet.” He spoke evenly, unimpressed by her obvious rage.

“I can’t. I—” She picked up her purse, grabbed the letters from his desk, and turned to leave. “I need to think.” She reached for the door.

“Elleanora,” he called after her, and she stopped at the opened door.

“What?”

“Be careful. They will not be happy if they found out that you know the truth.”

She nodded and closed the door behind her.

Dean continued to sit in his office, looking at the closed door. _Well, that went better than I thought it would._ He knew it was a lot to take in, but he trusted his father’s belief that she was the _one_.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	7. What You Know Can Kill You

**Chapter Seven – What You Know Can Kill You**

_Phoenix, Arizona, Friday, September 25, 1998_

Carly nearly had a heart attack when suddenly someone knocked on her bedroom window.

“Ella? What are you doing here so late?” she asked when she recognized the small figure on the other side of the glass.

Carly didn’t even want to think about how Isabella had gotten there—her bedroom was on the fourth floor of an apartment building and there were no trees to climb—as she opened the window to let her in.

“I need a favor,” Isabella said as she swung her legs through the window and entered Carly’s room.

It was almost midnight. Carly was already in her pajamas and on her way to bed. There was only the dim lighting of her night lamp casting shadows in the room, and Carly felt a chill run down her spine. She was never one to fear the dark, but knowing that demons and monsters did exist served to ingrain a healthy amount of apprehension of the night in her.

“As long as it doesn’t involve me getting out of the house at this time of the night, I’m your girl.” Carly grinned. “What do you need?”

Isabella handed her a folded piece of paper. “I need you to check these names out for me, but it has to be done as stealthily as possible.”

Carly opened the note and stared at the three names written down on it.

_Christopher Gabriel Belmont_

_Katerina Alexandra Simon_

_Elleanora Isabella Belmont_

“Who are these people?” Carly asked as she sat down at her desk.

“I’ll tell you in a minute.” Isabella sat down on the chair next to Carly.

“All right.” Carly shrugged, turning on the computer. “Let’s see what I can find for you.”

Isabella didn’t even try to pretend that she was capable of following Carly’s actions on the computer. She was fine with the basics, but when it came to snooping around, she left it to her Carly—her one-woman geek squad friend.

Twenty minutes later, Carly’s face wore a deep frown, and Isabella witnessed for the first time just how colorful Carly’s language could be.

“Okay, I think that even sailors don’t know that last one,” she said with a chuckle. “Are you going to tell me what’s up?”

“Nothing!”

“Nothing? Nothing doesn’t make you threaten whatever it is that you’re threatening to chop off his dick, shove it up his ass so deep that you’ll be able to take it out of his mouth, and finish up by sticking it in his ear so he can hear all the children he’ll never have, screaming.”

Carly chuckled. “Did I really say that?”

“Yup. Well, maybe not word for word, but that was the spirit of that last one.” Isabella laughed. “Didn’t know you had it in you, girl.”

“Yeah, well, that shit is pissing me off.”

“I noticed.” Isabella laughed. “It was kind of hard not to. So what gives?”

“Nothing. That’s the problem! I can’t find anything about these people.”

“What? Like, they’re dead?”

“No,” Carly shook her head, “like they were never born. Are you sure you got the names right?”

“Yes.” Isabella pulled out an envelope from the pocket of her jacket and handed it over to Carly. “Read these, and I’ll explain everything later.”

It didn’t take long for Carly to go over the letters Isabella had gotten earlier that day from her parents’ attorney.

“Fuck me!”

“No, thanks, I don’t swing that way,” Isabella said.

Carly rolled her eyes. “Okay, what the fuck? I mean, it must suck to realize you’re adopted, but what the fuck? It sounds like your mom was also a Slayer. Is that shit genetic or something?”

Isabella was impressed. She knew Carly was sharp, but that was some quick conclusion drawing on her part. “Something like that. It turns out that the attorney, Mr. Arbel, is a distant relative.”

“Get out! No way!”

“Yes, way.” Isabella sighed. “I didn’t stick around long enough to find out how exactly we’re related, but he told me that we were.”

“And you just took his word for it?” Carly asked.

Isabella giggled. “No, I didn’t just take his word for it. I could feel it.”

“Feel it?” Carly raised a brow.

“Yes. You know how I feel a tingle at the base of my neck when a vampire is around?”

“Yes.”

“Well, when I was near him, I felt a similar tingle, but one that wasn’t so strong. I can’t really explain it, but it’s like my ‘Spidey Sense’ can tell that we’re related.”

“This shit is fucking weird.”

“Since when did you develop such a potty mouth?” Isabella raised her brow and graced Carly with a teasing smile.

“Like you’re any better.” Carly rolled her eyes. “I’m just tired.”

“Tired?” The question was asked in a much gentler tone than the one Isabella had used before. She suddenly became aware that she didn’t even know what was going on in Carly’s life lately. She had been so preoccupied with her own mess that she had forgotten to ask her friend how she was doing.

“Well, that, and I fought with my foster parents. Got grounded, too.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Nah, it’s just bullshit. I can’t wait for it to be January already, so I can be eighteen and get out of the system.”

The girls moved to Carly’s bed as they spoke. Isabella took off her shoes, and Carly pulled up one of her pillows to her lap, hugging it and leaning her chin on her folded arms.

Isabella smiled a sad smile. She thought for a moment, and then her eyes were suddenly lit with a newfound mischief. “Do you have plans for tomorrow?”

“No. I’m allowed out of the house, but I have to be back before nine.” Carly made a face. “They treat me like I’m twelve!” She huffed in annoyance and leaned her forehead against the pillow, huffing again. She really wanted to fold her hands across her chest and maybe even stomp her foot, just like a twelve-year-old would do.

“They’re not checking in on you at night, are they?”

“No, why?” Carly raised a brow, suspicious of the sudden mischievous glee in Ella’s eyes.

“Pack an overnight bag, girl. You’re coming over to spend the night at my place.”

Isabella hopped down from the bed and went to put her heels back on. She might be a fighter, but she still had style. The heels were not stilettos—those were a bit impractical, even if they did make a good staking weapon—but they gave Isabella a few inches of extra height. The feminine style of the shoes made her feel just a little bit less bummed out when she had to sacrifice her social life, which was practically nonexistent, in favor of saving the world.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” she asked when she saw that Carly still hadn’t moved an inch.

“You know that I’m going to be grounded if they ever find out that I sneaked out, right?” Carly asked as she slid off her bed.

“You’re already grounded, so what do you care?”

“Good point.” Carly laughed.

Changing into a pair of sweatpants and grabbing a jacket from her closet, Carly packed another change of clothes, her hairbrush, and her toothbrush inside a small backpack and then put on her sneakers.

“Ready?” Isabella asked.

“Yeah, but how are we going to get out of here without waking them up? They are really light sleepers.”

“The same way I came in.” Isabella winked at her and turned to the window.

“Ella? I know that you’re the Slayer and all that shit, but I’m not jumping from the fourth floor window.”

Isabella rolled her eyes at her friend. “I’m not planning to jump.”

o.O.o

Carly was still laughing when the girls got to the ground. Isabella was telling the truth; they didn’t jump. All they had to do was climb over the railway, get to the neighboring window, and then use the fire escape.

“I can’t believe I never thought of using the fire escape.” Carly shook her head, giggling, as Ella led her toward her car.

“And I thought you were the bad influence and I was the goody-two-shoes,” Isabella teased, unlocking the car. “Come on, hop in. I’ve got popcorn and a pile of snacks with my name on them waiting for me at home.”

Carly slid into the front passenger seat. ”You mean, _I_ have a pile of snacks with _my_ name on it waiting for me at your home.”

“Cow!”

“Takes one to know one.” Carly stuck out her tongue at Ella as she started the car.

“Did you just stick out your tongue at me?” Isabella glanced at her, disbelieving. “Oh, my God, what are you, four?” She giggled.

“I’m four months younger than you are, so that should make me about six and half.” Carly winked at her. “Now put the pedal to the metal. I want that pile of snacks I’ve been hearing so much about.”

o.O.o

The girls were on their second movie for the night when Isabella suddenly froze in place. She was in the middle of a sentence when she abruptly stopped talking and held her finger to her lips, signaling for Carly to be quiet.

“Hide in the closet,” Isabella mouthed to her.

In any other case, she would have laughed or snickered at her friend, but ever since finding out about the creepy crawlers being real, she had developed a healthy respect for things that go bump in the night.

Carly tiptoed to Ella’s walk-in closet, which was the size of her bedroom at the Stevensons’, and closed the door almost all the way, leaving just a small crack to let the light of the night lamp chase away the darkness. She watched Ella walk past her, holding a crossbow. Carly didn’t see where Ella had gotten it from, but she figured that since this was the Slayer’s bedroom, there were bound to be plenty of weapons hidden in different locations.

Isabella flattened herself against the wall next to her bedroom door and peeked into the hallway. The house was dark. With just the two of them, there was no point in leaving the lights on anywhere else. She took a deep breath and focused on reaching out with her senses. She heard footsteps creeping up the stairway, as well as the rustling of leaves outside her bedroom window. Despite the darkness, she could make out two men holding guns and wearing ever cliché dark ski masks as they appeared at the top of the staircase.

The scent of their sweat, as well as the sound of their heartbeats, told Isabella that whoever was performing the breaking-and-entering, they were human. She was tempted to lower her crossbow—she was supposed to be protecting humans, not killing them—but the glint of metal that flickered as a stray ray of moonlight hit the weapon one of the men was holding strengthen her resolve. Whoever these guys were, they were not friendly.

She counted five sets of footsteps; three were coming through the back, two up the stairs. She didn’t worry about herself—or even about Carly, for that matter. She knew that she was more than capable of defending both herself and her friend. The only thing on her mind was the debate over whether or not she would be able to avoid killing or seriously injuring the intruders. If there was one thing she never thought to prepare to defend against, it was other human beings.

The two from the staircase were almost at her bedroom. She could see that they both wore body armor, and that made her decision easier. The bolts from her crossbow would be enough to stun them long enough for her to knock them unconscious. Having made the decision, she proceeded to shoot a bolt at each of the men, and then she quickly and silently struck the first one with the hilt of the crossbow on the back of his head and grabbed the other one in a tight grip, cutting off his air supply just long enough for him to pass out.

_Two down, three to go._

Taking away their weapons, she used their own belts to tie their hands, and then she dragged them to a service closet in the hallway, locking the door behind them. She could hear that the three men that were coming from the back were already inside the house; one was making his way to the stairway, and the other two seemed to be scanning the rooms on the first floor.

Swinging from the railing, Isabella jumped down and landed just behind the man. Using the same grip as before, she quickly had him unconscious as well. She was thankful for the carpeting as she dragged the man to the closet beneath the stairs, locking him inside.

_Down to two._

It was way too easy to sneak up behind the remaining two men. They might have had their night vision equipment, but whoever had sent them had seriously underestimated the Slayer. She locked their bodies under the stairs as well.

She was on her way back up to her bedroom to tell Carly that it was safe to get out when she sensed a new tingle. This one wasn’t as weak as the one the human intruders had caused, and it wasn’t as strong as a vampire approaching would have caused either. She sighed as she walked over to her front door, opening it before he could knock.

“If you’re the knight in shining armor, then you’re about ten minutes too late,” she said. “Your damsel in distress took care of the threat all on her own.”

o.O.o

Dean Arbel slammed the phone back in place, cursing. He had had the Council on watch for a while now, and he knew that they would not leave Elleanora without a Watcher for much longer, but he hadn’t expected this.

Something had tipped them off, and he had a gnawing suspicion that he knew just what that something was.

He recalled something Richter Belmont—his great uncle and mentor—used to tell him as he walked to his safe and punched in the code: _The devil is in the details, my boy. Always have a backup plan to your backup plan._ It was at times like these that he was grateful for the old man’s advice.

He knew that he didn’t have much time to get to Elleanora, especially since he knew that they would have to make sure that her friend was safe as well, so he hastened himself in gathering everything he needed before storming out of his house.

Dean left his car one block away from the Swan residence. He didn’t want any of the neighbors remembering a foreign car parked in the Swan’s driveway at this time of night. He ran to the house, using the cover of the darkness and several backyards to avoid any prying eyes.

Just as he was debating on whether he should approach the front door and knock or break in through the back, the door was suddenly thrown open to reveal one pissed off Slayer.

“If you’re the knight in shining armor, then you’re about ten minutes too late,” she said, folding her arms across her chest and smirking at him. “Your damsel in distress took care of the threat all on her own.”

He found himself smiling at her quip and stifling a chuckle. “I’m guessing that the hit squad didn’t make much of an impression on you, did they?”

“None whatsoever,” she confirmed. “I’d tell you to ask them, but they’re a little tied up and out of it at the moment.”

This time he did chuckle. “Tied up and out of it?” he asked, walking inside as she stepped back to let him enter.

“Well, I couldn’t very well kill them, could I?” She closed the door behind him. “Carly!” she called loudly. “You can come downstairs now.”

“Oh, good, you have your friend here as well. That should make things much simpler,” he said.

A moment later, Carly appeared on the stairs. “So, did you take care of whoever was trying to ruin a perfectly good girls’ night in?” she asked.

“Yup.” Isabella waited until Carly was at the bottom of the stairs before introducing her to Dean. “Carly, this is Dean Arbel, my parents’ attorney and a branch from my family tree.”

Isabella had turned on the lights, so Carly took several long moments to examine the man standing in the foyer. He had piercing, pale blue eyes that contrasted with the darkness of his black, shoulder length hair. He appeared to be around thirty, she decided. His stance was slightly tensed, but the look in his eyes was friendly.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arbel,” she said politely. “Is it a custom of yours to pay visits at two o’clock in the morning, or are we just special that way?”

Dean chuckled and noticed Elleanora smiling at her friend’s words. “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Montenegro. And, no, I don’t usually make house calls at the wee hours of the night. You two are just special that way.” He winked at her. “On a more serious note, I’m afraid that you two are no longer safe here in Phoenix.”

“Yeah, the five men with the big guns kinda tipped me off on that one,” Isabella quipped, folding her arms across her chest. “Question is—what are we going to do about it?”

“That’s where I come in,” said Dean. “Pack light, but take everything that is of value.”

Carly glanced at Ella and then returned her gaze to Dean. “What do you mean ‘take everything of value’?”

“I think he means that we’re not coming back to Phoenix,” Isabella answered, not looking away from Dean. “Am I right?”

“Yes, you are. The Council won’t back away unless they believe that the both of you are dead.”

“And how are we going to make them think that?” Carly asked, and then she turned to Isabella. “I thought the Council was on our side? What did you do—take one of their books and fail to return it on time?”

Despite the circumstances, both Dean and Isabella laughed.

“No, apparently the Council isn’t what I thought them to be,” Isabella said. “I’ll fill you in on the way.”

“On the way to where?” Carly asked.

Isabella looked at Dean and raised a brow, silently asking him the same thing.

“I’ll tell you on the way.” He echoed Isabella’s words. “Right now, we need to hurry. We’ll have to stop by Carly’s home.”

o.O.o

Twenty minutes later, Isabella and Carly had a backpack each, and Dean was driving them to the airport.

“Look into the glove compartment,” he said to Isabella, who was sitting in the front seat. “There’s an envelope there; take it out.”

“Yup, got it.”

“These are your new identities,” he explained as Isabella opened the envelope and looked inside. “You each have a passport in there, ID cards, and Isabella, you also have a driver’s license—“

“Hey, why did she get one and I didn’t?” Carly interrupted from the backseat.

“Maybe because you don’t have one?” Isabella answered her with a chuckle.

Carly rolled her eyes. “They’re fake anyway, so why not?”

“Because I don’t want you killing anyone just yet,” Dean said with a huff. _God save me from the wrath of the teenager._

“Elleanora and Charlotte Belmont?” Isabella asked, reading the names on the new ID cards.

“Sisters,” Dean said. “Put anything with your current name on it back in the envelope,” he instructed before waiting for both girls to do as he said. “Good. Now, Isabella, all of your funds have already been transferred to your new,” he paused and then corrected, “your _real_ name. I’ve also set up an account for you, Carly.”

“Me?” Carly was surprised. _Where would the funding come from?_ She didn’t want to ask the question aloud, but it still bugged her.

“Yes. Your parents left you with a formidable sum. You were only supposed to get it on your eighteenth birthday, but I managed to speed things up a bit.” Dean didn’t need to see her puzzled look in the rearview mirror to know that she would be wondering where the money came from.

“Thank you,” Carly murmured quietly, slightly embarrassed and more than a little shocked. She never knew that her parents had left her anything, though now that she thought of it, it made sense that there would be at least something left for her. She found herself grateful to Dean for taking care of the matter—for taking care of _her_. She wasn’t used to people taking care of her; it made her feel uncomfortable.

Dean smiled but didn’t acknowledge her reply. “There are two plane tickets to Chicago. The next flight leaves in three hours, which leaves you with just enough time to check in your luggage, have something to eat, and board the plane.”

“Why Chicago?” Isabella asked.

“Chicago has an international airport,” Dean answered.

“So does Phoenix,” Carly pointed out.

“True, but the more flights you take, the harder it is to trace you.” Dean turned to Isabella again. “Elleanora, look into the glove compartment again.”

Isabella reached in again, smiling at the sound of her new— _old_ —name. She understood why he called her by that name. She needed to get used to hearing it.

“There is a small money bag there. Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Take it out. There is thirty thousand dollars in there.” Dean ignored Carly’s sharp intake of breath and Isabella’s wide-eyed stare. “Use the cash to buy two tickets on any domestic flight. It doesn’t matter which state you choose, just make sure to stay in the US.”

“Then why is it important that Chicago has an international airport if you want us to take a domestic flight?” Isabella asked.

“I want anyone who might be following you to think that you left the continent.”

“Fair enough,” Isabella conceded.

“Choose anywhere you want. The fewer people who know where you’re going, the better. Repeat the process again, once you get to wherever you choose. Fly domestically, but make sure that your new destination has an international airport. The next step is to buy two tickets to Ireland. Check into a motel if you have too much time between flights or if you’re too spent. Use cash only at all times. Are you following so far?”

“Yup,” Carly said.

“Chicago: new state number one. New state number two: make sure it has an international airport. Then Ireland. Check into a motel, if necessary, and use cash only,” Isabella summarized.

“Excellent. Once you make it to Ireland, check into a hotel or a bed-and-breakfast for a couple of days. I want you to use those days to change your appearance as much as possible. Again, only use cash. Don’t touch the new credit cards yet.”

“Cool! Makeover.” Isabella smiled widely and turned to look at Carly. “I’m starting to like this plan!”

“Me too.” Carly nodded.

Dean held back a sigh.

“Oh, come on, grandpa,” Isabella chided, seeing the displeasure written all over his face. “Just because we’re not doom and gloom, it doesn’t mean we take it any less serious that you do.”

He had to smile at that one. “Very well,” he said. “Once you have your new look, use the cash one last time to book a flight to London. Once you arrive in London, use the credit cards to book a flight to Seattle, Washington. There are no direct flights, but any route will do.”

Carly’s mind was swirling with the information. She was both excited and a little worried about going through three states and two continents in such a short period of time. She took comfort in the fact that their final destination was at least still in the US.

“Ireland, London, and then _Seattle_?” Isabella asked. “Why Seattle?”

“I have a friend there; someone I can trust,” Dean explained. “He will be able to contact me and let me know that you’ve arrived safely, and he will also be able to handle all of your affairs.”

“That’s good to hear,” Carly murmured.

Dean smiled gently. This was a risky plan, and getting the girls to Seattle was only half of it. “J. Jenks is his name. He will tell you where to go from there.”

“How do we contact him?” Isabella asked.

Dean pulled out a white business card that contained only an address and a phone number beneath it. “You call this number. I told him that you would be arriving sometime next week. He will take care of everything, including registering the two of you at school.”

“Damn it, running away from assassins, saving the world from evil vampires, and I still have to go to school!” Isabella sighed dramatically.

Carly laughed. “The hardships of being a super-hero.”

“Oh, shut up!” Isabella rolled her eyes, still smiling.

Dean shook his head. _If people only knew that the fate of the world often lay in the hands of an eighteen-year-old..._

Isabella placed the business card in her purse next to the new ID and credit cards, and then she turned to Dean again. “What about the men in my house?”

“Don’t worry about them.”

Isabella had a growing suspicion that none of those men was going to live for much longer. She thought that perhaps she should feel guilty over this, but all she could think about was the memory of the guns they were holding. Those men had not broken into her house looking to borrow a cup of milk; they had been there to kill her and anyone else who happened to be present there at the time.

“Fine. What about us?” she asked. “How are you going to get the Council off our backs?”

“Don’t worry about that either, but if you happen to see the news in between your flights, don’t be too surprised if you hear your names mentioned.”

“I guess it’s time for Isabella Swan to die,” Isabella murmured. “Always knew I’d die young.” She smirked.

Carly chuckled.

Dean turned into the parking lot of the airport and found a parking spot in a remote area. It was almost four o’clock in the morning, so there was very little traffic. He hoped that no one would remember the two young girls leaving, but even if someone did, they should not be able to associate them with Isabella Swan and Carly Montenegro.

After getting out of the car, Dean pulled out two wigs from a bag in the trunk of the car. “Put these on,” he told the girls.

“I always wanted to be blonde,” Carly commented as she pulled a long curly blonde wig over her head.

“Blondes have more fun,” Isabella agreed with a smile.

Dean was in no mood to laugh—there was still much he needed to do before he could even hope to relax—but the _joie de vivre_ of the girls was hard to ignore. He did smile, though, and looked at Isabella with great affection in his eyes as he said, “Be careful.”

“Always am.” The answer flew from her mouth almost automatically, and she smiled sadly. The words were so similar to the ones she always told Steward.

“Have a good flight,” Dean said, talking to the both of them.

“Thank you,” Carly said.

“We will do our best.”

o.O.o

_Seattle, Washington, Friday, October 2, 1998_

Elleanora Isabella Belmont and her sister, Charlotte Belmont, landed at Sea-Tac Airport late in the afternoon of October 2. After picking up their luggage—surprisingly, only one suitcase for each teenager—the two recently dyed blondes headed to the baggage claim.

A tall, scrawny man wearing a black suit and holding a sign that read “Belmont” was there to greet them. Ella, as she preferred to be called, had called J. Jenks before the sisters left London, and he had arranged for someone to meet them at the airport.

“Hello, Miss Belmont,” the man greeted Ella first. “Miss Belmont,” He repeated, bowing lightly to Carly—as Charlotte preferred to be called. “My name is Josef, and I will be your driver for your stay here in Seattle. Mr. Jenks has instructed me to take you to your hotel suite so that you can freshen up after your long journey.”

Ella and Carly exchanged a glance and only barely stifled a giggle. This was nothing like what they had been expecting.

Josef took the suitcases from the girls and led them to the awaiting car, which was parked just outside the entrance. He did his best to keep his shoulders straight and not show his excitement; this was the first VIP assignment that he had been trusted with by his employer, and he had been promised a hefty bonus if his clients were satisfied at the end of their visit to the city.

Josef approached the black Mercedes and opened the back door for the girls to climb in. Once they were seated inside, he went to the trunk to put their luggage in the car.

Carly was biting her lips, trying desperately not to giggle.

“Shh!” Ella tried to hush her as some of the giggles began to spill out while trying to fight her own smile. “Remember what I told you—we’re supposed to be used to this kind of treatment,” she whispered.

Carly nodded, afraid that if she were to open her mouth, she would not be able to hold back her laughter.

Before the two girls left Dean, he had handed Ella a folded letter with instructions on their cover story, telling her to burn it after reading it. Ella had made sure that both she and Carly knew every last detail before she bought a lighter and burned the piece of paper.

Josef got in the front seat and started the car. “Mr. Jenks has made reservations for you at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, which is just within walking distance to—“

“Walking?” Ella arched a perfectly shaped brow, playing the part of the rich heiress to the T.

She was just having too much fun playing pretend, and it had kept at bay the thoughts of everything that she had lost since her birthday.

“I...I a—apologize, M-Miss Belmont,” Josef stammered, wanting to slap himself. _What was I thinking? Rich people don’t walk!_ “I will be at your disposal at any time during your stay.” He had a feeling that he had already said that, but his mind wasn’t working straight at that moment.

“Good.”

The cool tone that came from Ella was almost foreign to Carly’s ears, but it had just the right amount of boredom to it.

Had Carly not known better, she would never have guessed that Ella was anything but the bored heiress she portrayed herself to be.

She had to put a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud when Ella feigned interest in her manicured hand, waved dismissively at the driver, and said, “Carry on.”

“Y—yes, Miss B-Belmont.” Josef took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. “Mr. Jenks said that he hopes everything will be to your liking in the suite and that he will be expecting you for dinner at half past seven.”

“Where?” Carly tried using the same bored tone as Ella had, but the amused glint in Ella’s glance and the eye roll that followed it told her that she didn’t quite get it right.

“At _The Georgian_ , a restaurant inside the hotel, which specializes in French-inspired Northwest cuisine. Mr. Jenks took the liberty to reserve _The Petite_ for this meeting. It is an exclusive private dining room inside the hotel,” Josef quickly explained. He felt very proud of himself at that moment, certain that he was back on the right track.

“French-inspired Northwest cuisine?” Carly mouthed to Ella, her eyes wide with amazement. “A _private_ dining room?”

Ella shrugged.

Carly glanced at Josef, making sure he was still focused on the road ahead of them as they entered what looked like downtown Seattle, and then she turned to Ella again to whisper, “I think I prefer room service. I’m not sure if I could even read the menu in a place like that!”

Ella laughed aloud, drawing Josef’s attention intentionally. “I like your idea, Carly. Josef, please inform Mr. Jenks that we prefer to order room service. My sister and I don’t feel like dressing up for the dining room.”

“Yes, Miss Belmont.” Josef made a mental note to call Mr. Jenks’s office as soon as he dropped off his passengers.

o.O.o

As soon as the door closed behind the bellboy, the girls could hold their excitement no more. They both kicked off their shoes and jumped on the beds.

“Now I know how Macaulay Culkin felt when he was left home alone!” Carly giggled as she bounced on the soft bed.

“You mean how _Kevin McCallister_ felt when he was left home alone.” Ella threw herself back on the pillows of her own King-sized bed and joined Carly’s giggles.

“You know what we should do now?” Carly suddenly asked.

“What?” Ella looked at her with curiosity.

“Room service!” Carly announced, grabbing the menu.

Ella smiled. “I want to grab a shower first,” she said, getting up and pulling out a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase. “Get me whatever it is that you’re getting. I’ll be out in a bit.”

o.O.o

“You are going to be moving into a small town by the name of Forks,” J. Jenks said to the two young girls sitting in front of him.

“It probably has a sister town by the name of Spoons,” Carly murmured under her breath.

Ella smiled at her comment but didn’t say anything.

“You are already registered at the local high school, and they will be expecting you on Monday morning.”

Carly groaned. “I hate Mondays,” she muttered under her breath.

“You will be living in a small two-story house just on the outskirts of town. It will give you enough privacy, but it is still close enough to the town so that you’re not too far away from anything.” J. Jenks took out a folder and handed it to Ella. “This is the deed to the house. It belonged to Richter Belmont, a very distant relative of yours on your father’s side. He also left you a letter, which is also in that folder, and a key to a safe deposit box.” He handed her a silver key. “The safe is in a bank in Port Angeles. It’s not too far from Forks, so you will be able to get there on your own time, no rush.”

“Okay,” Ella said, already wondering what might be in the letter that this newly discovered family member had written so long ago.

“You will need to purchase a car before you leave Seattle,” Jenks said. “I already made sure that the money was transferred to your account. Oh, and, Charlotte?”

“Yes?”

“You will have to take several driving lessons, but once you get your license, contact me. I will make sure that the appropriate funds are transferred into your account, as well, so you, too, can purchase a vehicle.”

“Oh.” Carly didn’t really know what to say. She had been on her own for so long that having someone to take care of her was a new experience—an experience that she didn’t quite know how to handle.

“One last thing,” Jenks said as he closed his briefcase. “If you need anything—be it books, documents, legal assistance, or anything else—please, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“We will, Mr. Jenks,” Ella promised.

o.O.o

After giving it some thought, Ella chose a nondescript white Toyota Camry. Carly was all for the cool red Mustang that was parked on the other side of the dealership, but Ella rolled her eyes and handed over her credit card to the salesman.

They made it to Forks around noon on Sunday. Having spent the day before doing the tourist thing and going sightseeing, they checked out of their suite in the morning and drove to the small town that was nearly a five-hour drive from Seattle.

They didn’t have much to unpack. Even with their makeover shopping, they didn’t have much beyond clothes and some personal effects. Mr. Jenks notified Ella that her Watcher’s library would be shipped to her new home, but since discretion was of the essence, it would take a little while before the books arrived in Forks. He assured them that the house in Forks was in satisfactory condition, which Carly translated to “barely livable”.

Ella wouldn’t have called it barely livable, but it was not much beyond that. The house was sparsely furnished, with just the basics being present: a couch with a TV cabinet in the living room, a dining table with two chairs in the kitchen, one bathroom that they would have to share, and two bedrooms, with a bed, a nightstand, and a desk in each one of them.

Once they were settled in, they ordered a pizza and sat in the living room to eat and watch some TV. After finishing the pizza and cleaning up, Ella decided that it was a good time to do a quick patrol around town. She believed that knowing the home turf was key to surviving longer, and while it was very quiet vampire-wise in Seattle, she knew that it would not be long before the draw she had as a Slayer attracted some to the area.

“I’m going on patrol,” she called out as she put on her jacket and slid two stakes in place. She might not expect trouble, but she knew that it never hurt to be prepared. “See you later.”

“Have fun!” Carly answered from the living room.

o.O.o

 _For a small town, Forks sure does have a lot of cemeteries,_ Ella thought as she finished circling the third cemetery. So far, there had not been a trace of any vampire in sight. It was getting close to midnight, and she could feel the stress of the past few weeks catching up to her. Deciding to call it a night, she jumped over the fence of the cemetery and turned toward the trees. She had a very good sense of direction, and the town was really small, so she already knew that it would be a much shorter run if she cut through the woods to her new home than if she went through the town.

She opened her senses as she ran, loving the way every muscle in her body worked in perfect sync to make her almost fly through the forest. She loved how everything looked so different in the dark. A normal human would not notice the sliver of moonlight hitting the leaves of the tress, but the Slayer saw not only the twinkle of light, but she also noticed it while running at nearly her full speed. It was exhilarating.

Out of nowhere—and before her senses had a chance to give her enough of a warning—she was knocked to the ground and something heavy landed on top of her, pinning her down.

_What the hell?_

Her instincts kicked in, and she was able to throw him off of her and jump to her feet again. The creature growled. Had her skin not been crawling with warning, signaling that what she was fighting was truly evil, the growling would have given him away. It was animalistic.

The creature swung again at her, trying to get his hands around her neck. Ella dropped to a crouch and tried to kick his legs out from beneath him, but he merely stumbled backward a little before regaining his balance.

Quicker than she could have seen, the creature lunged at her and, with a well-aimed punch, sent her flying into a tree.

She landed on her knees under the tree and tried to move aside, knowing that the creature would attack her faster than she could blink. She wasn’t fast enough. The creature picked her up by her throat and threw her like a rag doll into yet another tree.

Isabella hissed in pain as her head collided with the hard tree trunk with great force. However, she didn’t let the pain overwhelm her. It was not the first time she had been hurt during a fight, and recovery time was one of the first things she had mastered. The quicker she got back on her feet, the higher her chances of surviving the fight were.

She straightened up and was able to duck away from a punch, but before she could counteract with a hit of her own, the creature caught her by her hair and held her up in the air, leaving her feet to dangle beneath her.

“You’re feisty. I like it.” The creature smiled, and that smile sent even more chills down her spine. His blood-red eyes glinted in the moonlight. “I like it a lot.”

Ella had no doubt that the creature truly _did_ like it, taking pleasure in torturing and “playing” with his victim.

_Well, I have no intention of becoming one._

She used the momentum of one of his swings to punch him in the nose—a sensitive area that, no matter how strong one was, would still be vulnerable. His hold on her loosened enough for her to break free. She threw a punch into his side, but had little to no effect.

"What the hell are you?" She couldn’t help the question from leaving her mouth.

"The last thing you'll ever see in your life." He snickered.

She was amazed to find herself dazed for a moment. It was as though looking into his red eyes had put her under a temporary spell. The creature backhanded her, and she was thrown back again—this time with so much force that, even though she broke eye contact with him, she still felt dizzy for a moment.

"You're strong. I'm stronger." The creature smirked, his red eyes glinting with anticipation.

"Duly noted," she murmured, scrambling to her feet. _This is not good, not good at all._

The creature was faster than anything she had ever faced before. It grabbed her by her neck again before she could fully stand. This time blocked the flow of air into her lungs. He was done playing with her, and Ella understood that this was it—the do or die moment.

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die, feeling the blood as I drain it from your body. I’m going to feast on your power as I drink your life and relish in it."

Holding onto the hand that was choking her, Ella gathered the last of her strength and kicked the creature between his legs.

 _Whatever you may be_ , she thought, _you're still a male_.

The creature responded in the desired manner, dropping his hold on her and slumping to his knees.

 _There is a time to fight and there is a time to run_. _Now is definitely the time to run._

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	8. A Dangerous Human

**Chapter Eight – A Dangerous Human**

_Forks, Washington, October 5, 1998_

Ella was panting by the time she made it back to the small white house at the edge of the woods. Her heart was beating so loud that it almost overpowered every other sound around her. She backtracked and used several detours—trying her best to confuse the creature, in case he decided to follow her—until she was fairly certain that he had not followed her home.

Once her breathing slowed down, she looked up at the house, where she could see that Carly’s bedroom light was on. Ella wondered what her friend was doing still up at this hour—almost two in the morning—as she opened the door.

A sudden movement from her side was her only warning.

_Whack!_

On any other day, she would have been able to duck it, but after the encounter with the creature, she was much slower, due to her bruises. “Ow!”

“Ella?”

“Carly?” Ella reached for the switch and turned on the lights in the foyer, rubbing the back of her head. Her eyes widened when she saw Carly holding a huge baseball bat. “What the hell?”

“Damn it, Ella! What are you doing creeping up inside the house?”

“I wasn’t creeping—” Ella tried to defend herself.

“You could have called!”

“Yeah, well, I would have, had I known I would be attacked by a _bat_ —no pun intended—as soon as I came in.” Ella rolled her eyes.

Carly giggled, lowering the bat and nearly hitting Ella again.

“Give me that!” Ella grabbed the crude weapon from her friend. “Before you end up hurting yourself with it,” she murmured under her breath. “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Carly shrugged. “And I’m sorry,” she gestured at Ella’s head, “about hitting you...”

Ella smiled. “As long as you keep in mind that I fight vampires, not _bats_ , we’re okay.”

Carly rolled her eyes and relaxed. Ella joking about it meant that she forgave her for it. “So...rolled in the bushes again, Ella?

Ella laughed and went up the stairs. “Patrol—you know how it is.” She shrugged. It wasn’t the first time Carly had seen Ella coming back from patrol looking the worse for wear. “So, wanna tell me what is really going on here?” Ella asked once they were outside Carly’s room. This was more than simple insomnia.

Carly tried to shrug it off. “I was...ugh!” She threw her hands in the air and rushed past Ella inside her bedroom before dropping on her bed and hugging one of her pillows. “I was scared, okay?” she murmured into the pillow.

Ella sat next to her friend and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry.”

Ella hated this part of her destiny—or was it her heritage now?—that caused anyone who became involved in her life to be put in danger. She knew it was selfish to pull Carly into the world of monsters and demons, but she was unable to regret doing so. She wasn’t sure if she would have been able to pull herself back together after the murders of her Watcher and parents without her friend.

Carly chuckled in embarrassment as they pulled away. “It’s not your fault.”

“Still—“

“Still nothing,” Carly interrupted. “You’re not my mother, Ella. You’re my friend. I know you’re the Slayer and you have to protect the world and all that shit, but you’re not responsible for what I feel.”

“When did you get so smart on me?” Ella asked through misty eyes.

“I don’t know.” Carly smiled. “But don’t worry—it’ll pass by morning.”

Ella laughed. “Speaking of morning, we’ve got class. You, young lady, should be sleeping.”

Carly tried to keep her expression stern, but after a few moments, she burst into giggles. “Sure, _Mom_.”

Ella stood up. “That’s better.” She nodded in parental approval and then had to duck away from the pillow Carly aimed at her. “Good night!” she called as she left the bedroom.

“Good night,” Carly answered from her room, her heart much lighter after talking to her friend.

It didn’t take long for Ella to get ready for bed. She took a quick shower, changed into her pajamas, and made sure she had her bag ready for the morning. She was about to climb into bed when a thought suddenly crossed her mind. There _was_ something that she could do to help protect her friend, at least while she was inside the house.

Ella crossed her room to her desk and unlocked a drawer, which housed the few books that she had brought with her from Phoenix. She pulled out one of them and began searching for a protection spell. She was certain that she had seen something like that when Carly and she were looking for an uninviting spell for Ella’s home after her parents’ murders.

Ten minutes later, she was fairly sure that she had found what she was looking for. Looking through the ingredients list, she realized that she would have to go shopping for some of them, but she was also certain that when they had been driving through Port Angeles she had seen a shop that might keep the ingredients that she was missing.

Closing the book, Ella placed it back in the drawer. Her gaze fell on the folder that Mr. Jenks had given her during their meeting. She had yet to open it. It was silly, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to handle what might be written in that letter. She reached for the folder, took it out, and held it in her hands.

 _What are you afraid of, Ella? It won’t bite you, you know_.

She stood there for several long moments, but eventually, she decided to put it back.

 _There would be time to read it tomorrow_ , she thought as she climbed into her bed.

o.O.o

Ella fell into a quick slumber and almost immediately found herself in the same dream that she had been having since she had left Phoenix.

She couldn’t see where she was, but she could have sworn that she was able to smell the scent of rain mixed in with something that was purely masculine in the air around her.

She didn’t feel herself raise her hand, but suddenly she was touching the softness of long strands of soft blond hair. A moment later, she felt small drops of rain falling on her cheeks, and a smile spread across her face.

The location was blurry. All she could really tell about it was that it was somewhere outside and that it was sometime during the day. Her dream never ventured far enough to show her anything but the green forest around her.

The owner of the silky hair was standing in front of her, but she could not see his face; it was blurred and unfamiliar, but at the same time, she knew that he was hers just as much as she was his. It was the strangest feeling, and her subconscious mind was alarmed when her dream-self leaned in close to the man and kissed him.

It felt so real. She could practically feel the pleasant caress of his hands as they slid over her waist and pressed her against his hard body. The kiss was heavenly—soft yet passionate.

She tried her best to open her eyes to see who was kissing her, who was holding her body so intimately. Who was this man that she felt so completely right in his embrace that she could bring down her guard and surrender herself to him? She did not truly mind when her dream-self did not obey her wishes because it meant that the kiss was unbroken and that the touching of his hands did not cease.

All in all, it was one very pleasant dream, and Ella was none too happy with her alarm clock for cutting it short. It didn’t matter that the dream never lasted much longer than it already had. Ella always wished that she could have just a little more of the man that was, quite literally, the man of her dreams.

She groaned and slammed her hand over the snooze button without opening her eyes. She tried to bring back the beautiful stranger from her dream, but his image was as illusive to her in her thoughts as it was to her in her dream. Finally, when the alarm clock buzzed again, she gave up and rolled out of bed.

o.O.o

Alice always waited for Jasper to open the car door for her when he drove them to school. It wasn’t like she couldn’t exit the car on her own, but she enjoyed it when he was being a gentleman—more importantly, she knew that he enjoyed doing it for her. She was well aware that it was the vampire nature to care for one’s mate, but she also knew that this had been engrained in him since his human years, and his vampire instincts were only second in his consideration.

“Ready for another day in Satan’s School?” Jasper asked in a whispered murmur.

Alice giggled as she glanced at the tortured expression that had crossed his face before he composed it into a calm mask. “Most definitely,” she answered with a bright smile. “It is only a few hours, Jasper. You’ll survive.”

 _It’s not_ my _survival that I’m worried about_.

They began making their way to their classes when, suddenly, Jasper stopped in his tracks and his head whipped toward the parking lot. He felt something that he had never come across before in his entire existence—a human that had made his instincts scream ‘danger’.

Had he not been in perfect control of his body, he would have dropped into a crouch and growled at the threat he sensed. As it were, he tightened his hold on Alice and shifted his body slightly in front of hers.

“Jasper, what is it?” She quickly glanced over the parking lot, looking for anything that might pose a danger. Upon finding nothing, she checked her visions, but all she saw was their normal daily routine of classes and an afternoon of hunting. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Don’t you feel it, Alice?” he whispered before his eyes focused on a blonde girl stepping out of a white Toyota Camry.

Alice looked at the girl, who was human, around five foot four, with bottle blond hair that curled a bit at the ends. Alice noticed the delicate features of her heart shaped face, the beautiful blue eyes, and the naturally pink lips of the girl from across the parking lot. Nothing about the girl seemed threatening.

A moment later, however, when the girl turned to look at her and their eyes met, Alice understood what Jasper was talking about. She tensed and had to suppress a growl. She did not miss the skipping of a beat that the girl’s heart made or the tensing of the girl’s body. Whoever this girl was, Alice’s inner vampire instincts told her that she was dangerous.

“I don’t understand this,” she murmured to Jasper. “What is she?”

“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, “but whatever she may be, this can’t be good.”

“We need to tell Carlisle.”

“Alice, wait.” Jasper stopped her as she turned to go back in the car. “We don’t know anything yet. Besides, Carlisle is still at the hospital.”

“You’re right, Jasper.”

Alice took a deep breath, tasting the air around them and letting the familiarity of it soothe her. She searched for their own future and saw them sitting in the cafeteria for lunch at their usual table—the one furthest from the awful smelling food—and then driving home to talk to Carlisle. There didn’t seem to be anything bad looming over their heads.

“Let’s get to class.” Jasper smiled at her as he sensed that calmness was once again the dominating emotion in her.

o.O.o

On the other side of the parking lot, Ella froze in shock as she stared at the golden eyes of first one and then another human-like demon—for demons they were, there was no doubt in her mind. She saw them tense as well, and she noticed the quick movement of their mouths as they spoke, but she could not hear the words spoken, despite her sharp senses. She watched them for several seconds more before their nervous expressions morphed into calm masks and they turned toward the building behind them.

“Ella?” Carly gently touched her shoulder, drawing her attention.

“I’m okay, Carly,” she said. “But we might just have a demon problem on our very first day.”

“What?” Carly shouted.

“Shh!” Ella glared at her. “They didn’t attack and they don’t seem to be aggressive. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that they didn’t recognize me for what I am, so there is no reason to panic right now.”

“How can you be so calm about it?”

“I’ve been dealing with shit like this since I was sixteen, Carly.” Ella shrugged. “You’d be surprised to know how many times I had to fight demons on school grounds.”

Carly shook her head in disbelief, amazed at the almost blasé attitude that the Slayer was sporting. She could practically _feel_ her heart stuck in her throat and the chills running down her spine the moment Ella said the word ‘demon’.

“After school, we’re going to do some research, but right now we’ve got some place to be,” Ella said. “Now, come on. We don’t want to be late.”

“No, we wouldn’t want _that_ ,” Carly muttered under her breath.

o.O.o

After getting their schedules, the girls decided to meet outside the cafeteria before lunch, since they shared their lunch and afternoon classes, and then they each left to find their own class.

Ella found herself bored to tears by the time she finished her morning classes. She was amazed to note the very slow pace at which the material was taught. Since Forks High had no AP classes, due to its small size, the less advanced students slowed the teacher down quite often, and by the end of fourth period Trig, Ella was ready for the demons to make an appearance just so she could have something to hit.

“What’s got up her ass?”

Ella didn't show in any way that she had heard the snide comment. She did enjoy visualizing a very brutal death for the owner of it--a girl walking ahead of Ella toward the cafeteria. Although Ella had shared two classes with the girl, she didn't bother to remember the name of the nasty blond. She could think of no occasion in which she would actually need it.

“You look like you want to kill someone,” Carly said, appearing next to Ella.

“Something like that,” Ella admitted unabashedly. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

“You’re assuming that there’s something edible in this cafeteria.”

Ella chuckled, but laughter that came from much further away made her freeze. She turned her head slightly to the side to catch the person in her peripheral vision.

 _Interesting that they would find it funny_ , she thought as she looked into the golden eyes of the two demons she had seen earlier in the parking lot.

o.O.o

Alice and Jasper met outside the cafeteria after their morning classes and made their way inside. They kept a good distance from the strange human but made sure that she was still within hearing range. When her friend expressed her doubts as to the cafeteria having anything edible to offer, neither could hold in their chuckles. As if she could hear the quiet sound, the strange human turned her head and their eyes connected once again—and once again, both Jasper and Alice felt their instincts scream _danger_.

After each getting a tray, they chose the furthest table in the room, just under an open window, in an attempt to minimize the assault on their sense of smell.

“Were you able to learn anything about her?” Jasper asked in a quiet murmur. It was well below the hearing ability of any nearby humans.

“Some basics,” Alice replied. “I didn’t want to get anyone suspicious, so I didn’t ask. I just listened.”

Jasper nodded his agreement.

“Ella and Carly Belmont,” Alice continued. “The taller one is Carly and the dangerous one is Ella. They are cousins by blood, but when Carly’s parents died in a car accident, Ella’s father adopted her.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.” Alice nodded. “From her clothes, I can say that she’s got style and money. Her nails may be short, but they are manicured. She has nice hair, although for some reason I see her looking much better as a brunette. If not for the reaction I have to her, I would say she could be my sister!”

Jasper reached over to place a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. “I hate to see the sadness in your face, Alinka.” He felt her sadness as his own through both his talent and their bond, and he absolutely loathed the feeling. “I wish I could give you a family of your own.”

“Oh, hush, Jasper. We have been through this before. You and Carlisle are the best family I could ever ask for.” Alice shook away her sadness and focused on the shining eyes of her soul mate.

“I know.” Jasper sighed. “But you can’t blame me for wanting to give you everything that I can, and then some.”

“True.” Alice smiled. “That Halloween present is sure going to be fun,” she teased.

Jasper sighed again, this time with an exaggerated eye roll. “When will I ever be able to surprise you, my love, if you keep peeking into the future?”

“Never.” Alice giggled.

It was then that they both heard the word ‘demon’ being mentioned from the other side of the room. They both turned their heads to see Ella and Carly talking, and they both tensed at the sound of their conversation.

 _“Are you sure?”_ Carly asked in response to a question they both had missed.

_“Most definitely. I know my demons, Carly. I’ve killed vampires before.”_

Jasper turned to look at Alice with terror written all over his face. He could not believe the words he had just heard.

“Did she just say—?”

“Yes. I heard it, too,” Jasper whispered. He shook himself out of his fear. _She’s only human,_ he reminded himself. _Get your shit together, man!_

“Jasper, what is she feeling?” Alice asked. “Could it be that she’s just joking or playing a prank?”

“I doubt it,” Jasper said. “But I’ll give it a try.”

Usually, Jasper would focus on Alice’s emotions to tune out the raging hormones of the teenagers surrounding them, but now he let his focus drift away from her and toward the humans around him. He was instantly assaulted with lust, anger, hurt, confusion, boredom, excitement, and drowsiness, all at the same time.

Taking a deep breath to help him focus, Jasper searched for the girls’ emotions. It was fairly simple to distinguish which emotions belonged to people he had already met before. Each person had a unique ‘signature’ of emotions—a unique ‘flavor’, so to speak—and all he needed to do was search for that one flavour that stood out.

He identified one new mixture of emotions—apprehension, excitement, admiration, a bit of sadness, and a tinge of happiness—and was able to identify it as coming from the taller of the two girls: Carly. He searched for another new signature of emotions but could find none. He focused harder, tuning out everything around him, and after several minutes, he was finally able to sense a faint trace of emotion. He could detect determination, but the rest were too faint for him to be able to identify them.

“I can just barely feel her, and only the most prominent emotion,” he said to Alice, bewildered at his own failure. “It’s determination, so I don’t think she was joking or playing a prank.”

“That’s odd. Can you try to manipulate them?” Alice asked, frowning.

“I’ll give it my best shot.”

Jasper chose a harmless emotion—happiness—and attempted to lock down on the elusive human’s emotions. After several moments, when he felt sure that he had found her, he attempted to send happiness toward her. As soon as his gift reached her, he saw her head snap toward him, and something akin to a growl—albeit a very _human_ growl, but it was a growl nonetheless—came from her.

“You better cut that out, demon, before I _kick_ you out,” she hissed under her breath, glaring at him.

“Ella? What’s wrong?” Carly asked when she realized Ella wasn’t looking at her anymore. She glanced behind her and saw that the two people from the parking lot were both staring at them. Carly could hear Ella saying something, but it was much too low for her to catch. “Ella?”

Ella snapped her head back to Carly and gave her a smug smile. “He thought he could play with me.”

Carly chuckled. “He’ll learn soon enough you’re not one to be played with.”

Jasper had to hold his own growl back as he turned to look at Alice. “This is not good,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know how, but not only was she able to repel me, she was also able to sense me trying to influence her.”

Alice stared at Jasper in shock. “This is not good,” she murmured, almost to herself.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. I need fresh air.” Jasper nearly jumped from his seat, and he was only just keeping a human’s pace as he quickly made his way out of the cafeteria. He needed to talk to Carlisle, and they needed to come up with a plan. He didn’t know what that human was, but she was a danger to him and his family—and that was something he would not tolerate for long.

Alice placed her hand on his shoulder, almost instantly calming him down. “I know. I am worried too. We’ll talk to Carlisle as soon as we get home.”

Jasper sighed and nodded. “I just hate knowing that there is something out there I can’t protect you from.”

Alice brought both of her hands up to cup his cheeks and stood on her toes to place a gentle kiss on his lips. “My hero,” she murmured with a smile.

“Do you know how much I love you, Alinka?”

“You might have to remind me from time to time.” She smiled gently. “Now go to class. We don’t want to be late.”

Jasper leaned down to place a desperate kiss on her mouth. He felt his insides turn at the prospect of something threatening the safety of his mate, and he prayed that Carlisle would have more insight about the matter. “Be safe, Alinka. You are my world.”

Alice nodded, leaning into his hand that was cupping her cheek.

The bell interrupted their moment, and they parted with another soft kiss.

o.O.o

“She is immune to both our gifts, and when I tried to influence her, she could sense me doing so.” Jasper finished telling Carlisle the details about the human girl they had met in school. He was pacing in Carlisle’s study, unable to relax. “Carlisle, everything about her screams danger.”

“And you’re saying that she knew you would hear her from across the room?” Carlisle asked.

“Yes. She called us _demons_.” Jasper made a disgusted face. “She’s one to talk! I’m pretty sure she’s not human herself.”

“Was there something other than your response to her and her resistance to your gifts that makes you think she is not human?”

Jasper shook his head, his shoulders slumping.

“No,” Alice said. “I observed her during both classes that we shared. The only thing I can suggest is that she has a very acute sense of hearing. Several times she seemed to be hearing things that a normal human would not have heard.” Seeing Carlisle’s next question, Alice answered before he could voice it. “I’m sure she’s not a vampire, Carlisle. I could hear her heartbeat.”

“What about her scent?” Carlisle asked.

Jasper and Alice exchanged a look before Jasper answered. “I didn’t get close enough to determine anything like that. Alice?”

“No. I was a little overwhelmed by the chemicals in the lab, and during PE I never got close enough.” Alice shuddered. “Frankly, I didn’t want to.”

“It’s okay, Alice,” Carlisle said in a soothing voice. “I don’t want you to put yourself in danger. If your instincts tell you to stay away, then listen to them.”

Jasper chose a less verbal way of encouraging her—he wrapped her in his love and pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you,” Alice murmured, addressing both of them.

“I will look this phenomenon up. I have to be back at the hospital by eleven, and I hope to have something for you by then. Why don’t you go for a hunt and unwind a bit?” Carlisle suggested.

“That sounds good,” Jasper said as he got up. “We’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Bye, Carlisle,” Alice called as they left the house.

“Bye,” Carlisle answered absentmindedly, already reaching for his books. While he felt apprehensive at this potential new threat appearing in the small town of Forks, he also felt an unexplained sense of excitement wash over him. It was an emotion that seemed to have been simmering in the background ever since they moved to Forks.

o.O.o

“When are you going to tell me what that was all about during lunch?” Carly asked as soon as they were seated in Ella’s car.

Ella chuckled. “I was wondering how long it would take you to ask.”

“Well, it took me two hours. Now spill!”

Ella giggled. She started the car and made her way out of the parking lot before she spoke again. “One of the demons—the male one—tried to influence me in some way. I can’t really be sure how, but I felt like something like a blanket was trying to cover me.”

“A blanket?” Carly stared at Ella.

Ella huffed. “I don’t really know how to explain it. It was like I felt a tingling all over my body that was warning me something was trying to...” She paused, wondering how to phrase it. “It was almost smothering, but not physically so.” Ella sighed. “You know how usually, when I sense something evil, I feel a warning?”

“Yes, you told me about it.”

“Well, this time it was not as strong as a reaction to a vampire, and it was out of focus, almost like the signal was jammed.” Ella chuckled. “It’s kind of hard to describe it, but it was very strong too. I feel like it was a very mild form of what the demon is capable of.”

“So...in plain English, what does it mean?” Carly frowned.

“It means that whatever they are, they are strong— _very_ strong.”

Carly tensed. She did _not_ like the sound of that.

Ella turned onto the highway and accelerated, anxious to get to their home and call Dean. She wanted to ask him if he had ever come across something like this before. Not too long ago, she would have talked to Stewart. She would have run to his apartment—or to the library, if it was during school hours—and he would have smiled at her excitement, telling her that she shouldn’t rush to fight the demon before finding his weaknesses first. Ella would have told him that he would be surprised at how many things could die from a stake through the heart, but she also would have added that she was willing to give him a chance to look the demon up.

She couldn’t do it anymore—and for a brief moment, her heart ached.

She didn’t know Dean nearly as long as she had known Stewart, and she knew that he would never be able to take Stew’s place, but she was willing to trust him. Hell, she had already trusted him with both her life and Carly’s, so what was a little more trust?

Ella parked the car and went inside. She headed straight for the kitchen, where the wall-mounted phone was placed.

“I’m calling Dean...see if he has any idea on what those demons are,” Ella announced as she began dialing.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to call him right now?” Carly asked, her brows furrowing in worry.

The sound of a pre-recorded message coming from the phone solved the dilemma. “ _The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try again._ ”

“I guess that answers my question,” Carly murmured under her breath. “Do you think he’s okay?”

 _I hope so._ “Yes,” Ella said with false confidence. She didn’t want to worry Carly before she knew that there was a reason to worry. “Let’s try doing some research of our own, and if we still come up empty, I’ll try calling J. Jenks.”

“Speaking of that spiffy lawyer...” Carly said as they made their way into the living room.

“What about him?”

“Did you read that letter he gave you?”

Ella sat down on the couch and brought her knees up. “Not really.”

“So? What are you waiting for?” Carly asked. “Where’s that letter?”

“My bookcase?” Ella said sheepishly, and it came out more as a question than a statement.

Carly gave her a pointed look.

Ella was able to resist her for about five minutes before she cracked. “Fine.” She stood up and went upstairs to retrieve the letter. She came back down, holding the folder in her hands, and sat next to Carly on the couch. “Ready?”

 _It’s not_ my _entire history that’s been turned upside down,_ Carly thought. “Yup.”

Ella opened the folder, took out the letter, and began reading aloud:

_To my heir,_

_I do not know the name your parents decided to give you, but I do know that you are one of the last living Belmonts. My time on this earth is quickly drawing to an end, and I feel it is my charge—nay, my duty—to prepare you for the responsibilities that have been bestowed upon our family for generations. The Belmonts have always used their power in the service of protecting others, but never without great sacrifice. Our powers have drawn evil to us, and as much as we have sought to destroy them, we have lost many family members in the war with the demons. My dear one, as one of the last Belmonts, I must warn you that you are about to face some very powerful evils—the likes of which you have never seen before. I aim to supply you with as many tools to help you destroy them, and I hope that they will be of use to you._

_I leave you the house in Forks for a reason. It was in ancient writing that I first became aware of this area. It was said to be protected by mythical creatures. Following these stories, I discovered that this small town is full of mysteries. The local legends speak of men turning into giant, horse-sized wolves that protect these lands from the Cold Ones._

_I have spent years researching this area, and while I came to find that demons who stumble upon these lands are quickly handled by some unseen force, I was unable to prove or disprove the legend of the wolves._

_The woods around this house hold many secrets, and I hope that you will be able to discover the ones that I was unable to in my lifetime. However, I am not leaving you empty handed. Everything that I found in my fifteen years here in Forks has been recorded meticulously. Use the key to show you the way._

_If the prophecies are true, then you are the one this family has been waiting for. You are the seed that will bring new blossoms to our family tree. You are our last hope against evil on this earth._

_I wish you good luck and bid you farewell._

_Richter Belmont._

Ella finished reading and looked up at Carly. “I guess we’re going to Port Angeles,” she said, taking the key from the folder. “I want to find out what’s in this safe, and we need some ingredients for a protection spell.”

Carly nodded in agreement. “Protection spell? Yes, we definitely need one of those. I think it will also be a good idea to stop in a book store.”

Ella cocked her head in a silent question.

“I’m pretty sure we will be able to find at least one version of the local legends in there. I want to know what exactly they say.”

“You’re right,” Ella said. “And I would like to see if I’m correct in my suspicions.”

This time it was Carly’s turn to look at Ella in question.

“I believe that the Cold Ones are vampires, and I think that we just moved into yet another city the vampires think they can use as their playground.”

Carly shivered, not liking that possibility whatsoever.

“Well, if we did,” Ella smirked, “they’re about to find out just how wrong they are.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	9. To Slay and Protect

**Chapter Nine – To Slay and Protect**

Carlisle was still in his study when Alice and Jasper returned from their hunting trip. He noted their arrival in the back of his mind, but his thoughts were too preoccupied with his research for him to do anything more than give them a short greeting.

It took him several hours after they had left before he managed to find anything that was even remotely close to what Alice and Jasper had described to him. It was in the trial records of a vampire that was brought before the Volturi for indiscreet hunting—the vampire had massacred an entire village, leaving nothing alive, not even the livestock. It wasn’t the crime—heinous as it was in Carlisle’s eyes—that drew his attention; it was the words that the vampire had used in his defense.

_“I was threatened! There is no chance that she was human. I looked into her eyes and I knew that if I didn’t kill her, she would kill me! It was self-defense. I tried to hunt her down, but she fought me. She had a heartbeat and smelled human, but she had the strength of a vampire! The humans in the village saw us fight, so I had to kill them too. I was obeying the law, not breaking it!”_

Caius had written that he believed the story to be a fable—an excuse made by a vampire desperate to live. It wouldn’t have been the first time a vampire had lied to avoid the Volturi’s wrath. Not one to tolerate liars, Caius had ordered the guards to execute the vampire on the spot.

Carlisle searched further into the records but was unable to find another reference to such a phenomenon. He could understand why Caius had not believed the vampire, but in light of Alice and Jasper’s account about the new girl in school, he suspected that there might have been some truth to the vampire’s words.

Leaving the official Volturi records, Carlisle turned to his own journals—a collection of stories he had heard from nomads passing through Italy, as well as stories told to him after he had left Volterra. Carlisle, being a very good listener, had been able to get many nomads to open up to him and tell him their own stories, as well as any that had been told to them. These amounted to countless pages of stories upon stories. Carlisle knew that at least half of them were exaggerated, if not complete lies, but by the time he began leafing through the pages of his writings, he was desperate enough to give it a try.

Carlisle was just reaching for the fifteenth volume of his records when Alice and Jasper appeared at his door. He paused, journal in hand, and turned to look at them.

“You’ll find something in that book,” Alice announced, sitting down on the leather sofa. “I can’t see on which page, but I saw you calling us as soon as you reached to take it off the shelf, and I had to come right away.”

Jasper, accustomed to his wife’s talent, sat beside her after a short, “Good evening, Carlisle.”

“Good evening, Jasper, Alice.” Carlisle went back to his desk and resumed his research.

None of them were surprised when, not ten minutes later, Carlisle found something.

“I can’t tell you how reliable this story is, but it seems to fit in with the information I’ve found so far.” Carlisle told them about the vampire’s trial that he had come across earlier. “The vampire’s recollections seem similar to your experience with the girl,” he said, and both Alice and Jasper nodded in agreement. “Now, this nomad said that he had heard of girls who were as strong as vampires, despite being clearly human. He calls them Slayers.”

“Slayers?” Alice asked.

“Vampire Slayers,” Carlisle confirmed.

Alice wanted to laugh. The notion of a human strong enough to kill—to _slay_ —a vampire was ridiculous, but her own reaction to the girl had been far from amusing.

“He had said that he was one of the very few who had heard about them and that, like most, he thought the myth around the girls was just that—a myth.”

“What does the myth say?” Jasper asked.

Carlisle looked back at the text and read aloud. “Into every generation, a girl is born—one girl in the whole world, a chosen one—with the strength to fight the vampires. She is the Slayer. She is the last vestige to stand against the demons and the forces of darkness. She will stop the spread of vampires and prevent the demons from taking over the world.” He lifted his head from the text and added, “It also says that when one Slayer dies, another one is called to take her place.”

“I can see why people think it’s a myth,” Jasper said.

“You know as well as I do, Jasper, that many myths are rooted in truth,” Carlisle countered.

“Sure, but come on, Carlisle! How can one girl be such a threat to the vampire race?”

“It does seem farfetched that one girl would be enough,” Carlisle conceded. “I can only assume that this is the reason why the nomad said it was only a myth.”

“But we know that at least part of it is true,” Alice offered. “We know that, at the very least, her senses are sharp enough to detect our presence, and while we can’t say for certain that she wasn’t lying or exaggerating, she did mention that she had killed our kind before.”

“I think that we should just eliminate the threat,” Jasper said firmly.

Carlisle did not begrudge Jasper for his approach. Alice was, and always would be, Jasper’s first priority—if keeping her safe meant that Jasper had to take a life, Carlisle knew that Jasper would have no qualms about doing so. It did not mean, however, that Carlisle thought this was a good course of action.

“I think that we should start by learning more about her,” Carlisle said. “I do not wish to end a life unless I am absolutely certain that there is no other way to deal with the situation, and we are not at that point just yet.”

Jasper nodded. He understood where Carlisle was coming from, but Carlisle did not have a mate. While Jasper knew that it would hurt Carlisle if something were to happen to Alice, he knew that Carlisle would survive the loss. Jasper would not. Alice was the sunshine to his dark existence. If she was to be taken away, his existence would be one endless night until he found a way to join her again. He would not take any chances when it came to her, and so even now, Jasper began making contingency plans.

Alice knew him well, and even without the visions playing in her mind at that moment, she knew that he was preparing for the worst. Deep inside her, she also made tentative plans to end the threat to _her_ mate. Rationally, she doubted that a human could ever be a threat to Jasper, but emotionally, she still remembered quite vividly the danger that emanated from the girl.

Carlisle sighed. “I do not like this any more than either of you do, but I refuse to consider ending the life of a child,” he said firmly. Somehow, the notion grew even fouler with every passing moment in which he spent thinking about ending the young girl’s life. “Do you know where she lives, Alice?”

Alice shook her head. “It wouldn’t be too hard to find out, though.”

“Then we need to find out. I want to see if I can learn more about her.”

“Stalking, Carlisle?” Jasper smirked. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Oh, shut it, Jasper.” Carlisle rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “I don’t think either one of you is willing to go watch her on your own.”

Alice nodded and Jasper hissed, “Hell, no!”

“I thought so. However, if you both go, I suspect there wouldn’t be much watching involved,” Carlisle teased.

Alice giggled, not even remotely offended.

"I don’t think I will have much problem watching her, considering how much of a threat she—” Jasper cut himself off when Alice elbowed him in the ribs. He looked at her and saw her disapproving expression. Quickly recovering, he decided to tease Carlisle back. “Just admit that you want to take a peek at her in her pajamas, Carl. We both know you want to.”

Carlisle laughed but made a disgusted face. “I’ll admit to anything you want, just as long as you never call me _Carl_ again.”

“I promise,” Jasper agreed. “So, when are you taking on your very first stalking session?”

“I say there’s no time like the present,” Alice piped in.

“You two really want the house to yourselves, don’t you?”

Alice sighed dramatically. “You caught us, Carlisle. Oh, Jasper, what will we do now?” She brought the back of her hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and leaned back into Jasper, feigning herself fainting.

“I suspect that we would just have to wallow in shame and say ten ‘Hail Mary’s for our sins to be absolved,” Jasper said, making a grand presentation of looking remorseful.

“God save me from teenagers.” Carlisle shook his head and laughed before adding, “Even if they are immortal.”

Jasper elbowed Alice. “He’s talking about you, you know.”

Alice pinched his forearm, making him jump, and Carlisle roared in laughter. Those two were priceless when they set about to tease him. No one would ever believe, seeing them acting the way they had been in the past few minutes, that between them they had over two centuries of life on this earth.

Alice and Jasper exchanged a smile. It was a rare sight to see Carlisle act so freely, and both of them embraced each and every occasion when their friend was happy.

When they had first met him, just under five decades ago, he was a bitter man, hurt and jaded. It was a slow process, but they were finally able to crack his shell and get him to allow them into his heart.

 _And what a great heart it is,_ Jasper thought. Carlisle was one of the very few creatures he had met in his one hundred and fifty plus years that felt so deeply, and when Carlisle loved, he did it with his whole heart.

Jasper had never trusted anyone in the world as he had come to trust Carlisle, and after Alice, Carlisle was the only person for whom Jasper would give his life. They might not share blood or venom, but they shared something that was much more significant, as they _chose_ to be a family.

“Okay, enough with the teasing,” Carlisle said, still smiling. “I must be back in the hospital by eleven, which leaves me only two hours to observe—“

“Stalk,” Jasper interjected.

“—the girl,” Carlisle finished, giving Jasper a disapproving look. He then stood up from his chair and placed the books he had used for his research back in their rightful place.

Since none of them knew her scent, they had to fall back on more traditional ways of tracking to find where Ella Belmont lived. It did not take them long. In fact, it took all of ten minutes for Jasper to hack into the school records and find the home address of Elleanora Isabella Belmont and her sister, Charlotte Belmont.

“It’s not that far away from our home,” Alice noted.

“I agree,” Carlisle said. “It looks like it should be on the very edge of town.” He picked up his car keys and bag and then headed to the garage. He paused before unlocking the car.

“It’s okay, Carlisle—just park two blocks away and no one will notice you,” Alice said, answering the question she had seen coming.

“Thank you, Alice.” Carlisle smiled, unlocking the car. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, kids.”

“Now where is the fun in that?” Jasper asked.

Carlisle chuckled. “Okay, well, at least try to keep the house in one piece.”

“We’ll do our best,” Alice promised with an all-too-innocent smile.

Carlisle was still shaking his head and chuckling as he slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and drove away. He loved having Alice and Jasper in his life. They were the best family he could have asked for, had he known that that was what he had needed. He tried his best not to let his spirits down, but as soon as he thought about family, it was unavoidable that his mind turned toward what was lacking in his family—a mate of his own.

Despite everything that had happened in his past, despite how much he had been hurt and how difficult he found the idea of trusting someone was, he wanted—with every fiber of his being—to find someone who would complete him the same way that Alice and Jasper completed each other.

He parked the car where Alice had instructed him to and made his way through the shadows toward the edge of town until he saw the right house. He retreated as far away into the trees as he could. He remembered what Alice and Jasper had told him about her heightened sense of hearing, and he decided not to rule out the possibility of the girl having other senses that were heightened as well.

There was light coming from the windows of the first floor of the house. Carlisle could hear two voices speaking in very low tones, and he listened to every word that was coming out of their mouths. It did not take him long to distinguish which voice belonged to which girl, but what they were saying was nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed as though they were talking about school, homework, and boys.

 _Just your usual girl-talk,_ Carlisle thought.

He could sense no danger coming from the house. He decided to come closer, but after an hour and a half of listening, he heard nothing unusual. The girls made dinner, watched TV, and then worked on an assignment for one of their classes.

 _Well, this was a complete waste of time,_ Carlisle thought as he made his way back to the car.

o.O.o

Inside the house, Ella suddenly sighed in the middle of yet another school-related rant by Carly and murmured, “Finally.”

“Okay, _now_ would you like to tell me why you had me talking about school and _boys_ ever since we got back from Port Angeles?” Carly asked in annoyance.

She was trying to hide the worry and the slight trace of fear she had been feeling ever since Ella had suddenly started talking about how she hated doing homework and asked for her help with getting it done.

Ella did _not_ need help with Biology, and Carly knew that for a fact, but seeing the expression Ella had had on her face, Carly didn’t argue.

“We were being watched.” Ella shrugged. “I couldn’t take the risk of anyone overhearing us.”

“I agree. Was it human or vampire?”

“Definitely not human, but I can’t say for sure if it was a vampire or not.” Ella frowned. She couldn’t quite place the very unique sensation in the pit of her stomach that had come along with the slightly off tingling of her Slayer senses. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, and she wasn’t sure how to decipher it. “I will be much calmer once we’re done with the protection spell. What do you say we get it out of the way?”

“Sure.” Carly jumped to her feet. “I’ll get the ingredients; you get the book.”

o.O.o

“For something that contains so many nice herbs, this shit STINKS!” Carly made a disgusted face and turned away from the vial Ella was holding.

“Then it’s a good thing you don’t need to drink it, isn’t it?” Ella retorted. “Now come on, slowpoke, let’s get this show on the road.”

The girls stepped outside. Carly was holding the old leather-bound journal that Ella had been able to sneak away from Stew’s office back in Phoenix, and Ella held the vial with the potion. The spell called for using Latin, as well as being performed four times—once for each direction, starting with the north. Ella was never strong in Latin, so she left that part for Carly.

“Garlic chives for protection,” Ella let one drop of the potion fall to the ground, “Bells of Ireland for good luck,” she let another drop fall, “Bluebells for humanity,” another drop, “Oleander for caution,” another drop, “and Heather for success.” Ella let the fifth and final drop fall to the ground and then nodded for Carly to continue.

“Nos peto ut defendo obscurum. Nos peto protego ex malum,” Carly read from the journal she was holding. “Nos peto pacis. Nos peto salus. Ut volo, is vadum fio.”

“Ut volo,” Ella repeated, “is vadum fio.”

There was a slight glow to the ground where the drops of the potion had fallen, followed by a purple smoke that rose up from ground before disappearing after a moment.

“One done, three to go,” Carly said.

o.O.o

Once the girls were finished with all four sides of the house, they went back inside and worked together to put everything that they had used for the potion back in its place.

“Ugh, why is there always cleaning required after casting spells?” Carly grumbled. “Why couldn’t they make a cleaning up spell or something?”

Ella chuckled. “Be thankful that you didn’t have to do this over an open fire and in the nude.”

“What?” Carly’s head snapped up. “Did you—?” Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Did I what?” Ella feigned innocence.

“You know what! Have you ever cast a spell nude and over an open fire?” Before Ella could answer, Carly gasped. “Oh, my God, did Stewart see...? Oh, no, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. That’s gross. No, actually, yes, tell me. I do want to know. Have you?”

Ella kept a straight face. “No, I have never cast a spell while being nude over open fire,” she said while wiping the counter top clean. “Doing that kind of thing will give you severe burns.” She winked at Carly. “You should know me better than that.”

Realizing that her friend was pulling her leg, Carly rolled her eyes and then closed the cupboard after placing the last of the herbs in place. “Well, I’m going to head to bed. Are you coming?”

“I think I will go for a run first,” Ella replied. “Gotta keep in shape.”

“All right, have fun.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Ella went upstairs and changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a matching black hoodie. She decided that running a lap around the town should be enough for the night and went downstairs to put on her running shoes.

“Don’t wait up,” she called up to Carly. “But if you do, _stay away from the bats_!”

Carly appeared at the top of the stairs and said, “I’ve learned my lesson; bats are not allowed in the house.”

“Good, ‘cause my head still hurts!” Ella called as she left through the front door, Carly’s laughter following her.

o.O.o

Running always gave Ella time to think. It was a very monotonous activity that kept her body busy, freeing her mind to turn over everything that had been bothering her. Keeping her pace fairly rapid, she stuck to the forest side of the roads, avoiding neighborhoods as she ran.

There had been so much going on in her life, so many changes, that she had barely been able to keep up.

It was easier to focus on keeping Carly alive, on making sure no one followed them, and on sticking to Dean’s instructions. However, she knew that she couldn’t run away from her problems forever.

_Adopted._

The word had stuck with her ever since she stormed out of Dean’s office. She wasn’t quite sure how she should feel about it. Knowing what she did, she could not begrudge her birth mother for giving her up for adoption. The life of a slayer was not one fit to raise a family in. If anything, Ella admired Katerina Simon for having the strength to do what she did. Reading her letters, Ella did not doubt that she had been loved.

_Loved._

Her thoughts turned to Renée and Charlie. They had loved her, too. They might not have provided the genes to create her, but they had raised her—they had taught her right from wrong, they had hugged her when she cried, they had kissed her when she brought home good grades. Renée and Charlie were her parents in every way but one, and Ella could not love them more, even if they had been her biological parents. There was no anger in her thoughts, only a longing to feel her parents hug her one last time. Her only regret was that she might not have told them how much she loved them.

Ella noticed that she had passed the halfway point in her run and pushed herself to go just a little bit faster. She could feel her muscles contracting harder, protesting, but she knew that she could not afford to slack.

 _Demons don’t stop to take a breath,_ she reminded herself. _If I want to stay alive, I must be faster and stronger._

She worried about Dean. His number being disconnected meant that there was something wrong, but Ella was wary of trying to locate him through Carly’s skills. It hadn’t turned out too well for her the last time she had tried that.

 _He might just be keeping a low profile_ , her rational side suggested.

It made sense.

Ella knew that if the Council were to ever find out about Dean’s involvement—or about her and Carly surviving the assassination attempt—it would mean trouble. While travelling, Ella and Carly had had little to no opportunities to watch the news. Only when they had made it to their motel room before the flight to Ireland were they able to turn on the TV set and listen to what was going on in the world.

Ella was the one who had caught the report and called Carly—who was about to take a shower—to come see the story.

“ _The local community in Desert View is still mourning the tragic loss of young Isabella Marie Swan in a gas explosion a week ago. Isabella was the daughter of Officer Charles Swan and Renée Swan, both of whom had been murdered last month. The tragedy of this small family seems to know no end. Police still have no leads in the investigation of the double homicide of Officer Swan and his wife, but their daughter’s death appears to be accidental, although police have not ruled out the possibility of suicide just yet..._ ”

Carly had been very impressed as she watched the camera turn to show what was left of the Swan residence—and it wasn’t much. Ella, on the other hand, had tried to keep away the pang of hurt she felt when she saw the house in which she had grown up burned to a crisp.

They had waited until the end of the news broadcast, wanting to know if Carly would be mentioned, and true to Dean’s word, she had been. It was just before the weather report when the news anchor mentioned a foster child by the name of Carla Montenegro—Carly had been highly amused that they had gotten her name wrong—had died

“ _Police say that the body found yesterday in the desert has been confirmed as belonging to runaway foster child, Carla Montenegro. Officer Kurt from Maricopa County Sheriff’s office says that the body was identified by the child’s foster parents by her clothing and the documents found on her person._ ”

Carly and Ella had stared at each other for several moments before Carly whispered, “Fuck...me!”

Ella had smiled at her. “You know, I would, but you smell too bad.”

Carly had thrown a pillow at her in reply, and they had ended up having a pillow fight in the middle of the motel room. Recalling the state of the room—with white feathers covering almost every flat surface—Ella felt a smile returning to her lips. Carly had been the best companion for this adventure that she could have asked for, and Ella knew that she would never have been able to laugh so much had it not been for her friend—and  sister by choice.

All thoughts of happiness, however, were pushed aside when Ella felt the tingle at the base of her neck going off. It was only mere seconds before she was attacked. The warning was sufficient only for her to turn her body and collide chest to chest with something hard.

She landed several yards from the road she had been running on—her attacker slamming her so hard against the ground that she lost her vision for a fraction of a second.

“We meet again, my little fighter,” a familiar voice said.

Ella didn’t bother to wait for her eyes to focus before trying to attack him. However, he had anticipated her attack, and he locked her wrists in one of his hands above her head and pressed the lower half of his body into her to keep her legs immobile.

Panic spread through her, causing her to shiver once before she gained control over her reactions. The creature from the night before was back, and she knew that even in a fair fight she had barely made it. The position she was currently in had her at an even greater disadvantage.

 _Okay, buddy, off you go_ _!_ She twisted her body to the side, using her momentum to try to throw him off of her.

Instead of letting her go, he allowed her to twist beneath him, and when she turned far enough, he eased the pressure of his body for a moment before reapplying it once she was on her stomach.

The creature grinned, rubbing himself against her behind. “And here I thought I would only get to drink from your beautiful neck,” he whispered in her ear, tightening his grab on her wrists.

Ella knew that he was holding her hands tight enough that had she been a normal human the bones would have snapped already.

He ran his nose down the length of her neck, breathing in her scent. She smelled like raw power, and he just loved the effect her wriggling had on his lower body. “I am going to enjoy taking your body as well as your life.”

He noticed that she was strong—much stronger than a human should be—but that would not stop him, he decided. If anything, her strength made her even more appetizing to him.

Ella closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, concentrating on his presence. She ignored both the erection she could feel poking her in her lower back and the pain in her wrists. The moment his nose came in contact with her skin again, she threw her head back as hard as she could, hoping that his nose would be just as vulnerable as his groin had been—and as luck would have it, she was right. He reacted in the exact same way as she had hoped he would, by howling in pain, letting her hands go, and bringing his hands up to his nose.

Not wishing to waste any time on getting away, Ella attacked, using her elbow to hit him in the ribs. He held one hand over his nose—she was fairly certain that she had managed to break it—and tried to catch her wrist with the other. Sliding from beneath him, she kicked him between the legs before standing up. Instantly going into her battle stance—hands fisted, held in front of her to protect her face, and one leg positioned slightly before the other, knees bent—she smirked as she saw him stumbling backwards.

“You bitch!” he howled in rage. He had not expected her to get away from him so easily.

He threw himself at her, but she was able to dodge him at the very last moment, sprinting into the woods. She moved so fast. He had never seen any human move that fast.

 _But she_ is _human, and I_ am _going to drink her blood_.

He sprinted after her, flying through the forest in pursuit.

Ella ran in the opposite direction of her house. It might have been safer to run toward the magically protected location, but she would never risk the life of her sister if she could avoid it, so she ran deeper into the woods. She knew that he would catch up soon—he was too fast to stay behind for long.

Only two minutes later, he had indeed caught up to her. Ella was ready for it this time, dodging him again and throwing punches directly at his ribs—trying to hit the same spot she had hit before. She might not be as strong as him, but she was no weakling, and the repeated blows to the same area would eventually hurt.

 _But I don’t have ‘eventually’_ , she thought when she took a blow to her ribs and heard something crack. _I definitely don’t have eventually._

Ella did her best, giving everything that she had in her to fight the red-eyed creature before her, but she was soon growing tired and bruised while the creature did not seem to even notice the punches and kicks she was throwing at him.

“You can’t win, little girl,” he called with a grin.

She didn’t answer; instead, she dropped to a crouch and threw a low kick into his shins. “What’s wrong, big boy? Did I hurt you?”

It was her best attempt at a quip, but she was nearly breathless, and the words came out almost broken. There was no strength behind them.

_This can’t be it. I can’t go down like this._

A blow she had tried to block with her arm resulted in yet another cracking sound, and Ella was losing hope. Running away wouldn’t do anything, and she was not sure that she had enough strength left in her body to run.

_For every Slayer, there comes a day when she meets the evil that can take her down, and I had more days of winning than most._

The thought brought her no comfort, and she had to swallow the lump forming in her throat. She did not want to die. She didn’t want to leave Carly alone. She wanted to see the sun rise again. She wanted to see years’ worth of sunsets.

The creature could hear the bones cracking as he continued to hit her. The scent of her blood spilling from several cuts she had sustained was nearly driving him crazy with thirst. She was growing weaker, and he salivated at the thought of finally tasting her blood on his tongue.

 _I might decide to keep her,_ he thought. _She’s strong and clearly a good fighter. I could use her as a bodyguard—_ he smirked _—as well as a whore for my needs._

“I’m going to love riding you like one rides a horse, taking you like the bitch that you are.”

She didn’t really hear his words. She felt her strength leaving, but she knew that she could not go down without a fight. Pulling everything she had in her, she launched one last, desperate, attack.

He was caught by surprise when several of her kicks were strong enough to bruise his already-healed ribs again, but he could practically smell her desperation. _This isn’t going to take much longer_.

It took all of five minutes for him to gain the upper hand again and poise his mouth over her neck.

_I love you, Carly. I’m sorry._

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	10. Playing Pretend

**Chapter Ten – Playing Pretend**

Jasper was enjoying a quiet evening with Alice after Carlisle’s departure. It was one of those nights when they didn’t need words or actions. All they needed was each other. He was looking out at the stars, which were making a rare appearance in the normally clouded skies of Forks, and gently playing with Alice’s short hair. He smiled when he heard the gentle purr coming from her. Her contentment was almost warm to his cold body.

He bent down to kiss her on her head and contemplated making a trip to the small lake further into the Olympic Forest. He would enjoy washing in the cool waters, holding his beloved wife in his arms and showering her with his love. He was about to voice his offer aloud but decided that he would much rather share a long, hot bath in the hot tub Alice had insisted on installing when they last renovated the house.

Not a second after changing his mind, Alice suddenly shot up from her seat, screaming, “No!” and falling on her knees.

Jasper was next to her in an instant, growling in warning and searching for danger before seeing that her eyes were slightly unfocused. Whatever the danger was, it was not coming from around them. He struggled to keep himself relatively calm, but the waves of terror, heartbreak, and agony coming from Alice were almost too strong for him to bear.

“Alinka, what is it?”

Alice stared, unseeing, as the vision played in her mind over and over again. She could not let it happen, but she didn’t know what had caused it. She had just decided to take a look into Carlisle’s future, wondering how the “stalking session” had gone, but the bright future she had seen had suddenly morphed into a waking nightmare.

She could not, _would_ not, let it happen.

“Carlisle,” she murmured. Desperately searching for the cause that had changed the happy image she had seen just moments ago, she could find nothing. With each passing second, the terrible future was solidifying. She tried searching for her own immediate future, but all she could see was herself on her knees, with Jasper by her side.

“Sweetheart, talk to me, what are you seeing?” Jasper felt helpless, wanting to fight the reason that had brought so much pain and fear to his mate, and yet unable to do so because he did not know what that reason was.

Alice decided to ask her husband if he had thought of something and then changed his mind—it was a long shot, but she could think of nothing else—and the nightmarish future began to dim once again. “You decided on something,” she said, this time looking into his eyes and seeing her panic reflect there. “What did you decide?”

Jasper, confused about the question but trusting her, answered, “I thought about taking a trip to the lake—Alice?”

Alice had shot up before he could finish his sentence. She could not see their future, but the terrifying vision was growing dimmer the further she was from their home, so she had to believe that this was the right thing to do. Whatever she was about to find in the lake—or on the path to it—was important to not only Carlisle’s future but to Jasper’s and hers as well.

Not about to let his mate run into the face of danger alone, Jasper ran after her, gaining on her within the mile. He was about to ask what she had seen when he smelled it: blood, _human_ blood. Grateful for his impromptu afternoon hunting trip, he did not hesitate to run in the direction of the scent, but he cut off his breath, not wanting to tempt fate.

They were met with the sight of a red-eyed nomad holding a human in his arms and preparing to bite.

“Let her go!” Alice roared.

The nomad stiffened and looked up at the two yellow-eyed vampires standing before him. He growled, annoyed that his meal had been interrupted. “Get lost! Find your own meal!”

Worrying about being outnumbered did not even cross his mind. He had dealt with two and even three vampires fighting him, and he was still alive to tell the tale. He tightened his hold on his prey, not paying attention to the sound of breaking bones as he did so; she would be dead in a matter of moments.

Jasper’s eyes darkened to almost pitch black. The creature before him had not just hunted the human; he had also beaten her to the point where she was nearly unrecognizable. His mind registered her identity the moment Alice attacked the nomad. He didn’t know why she was defending the human girl, and a part of him wondered why her presence did not rattle his instincts as it had earlier in school, but he decided to fight first and ask questions later.

The nomad threw the human to the side just a fraction of a second before the small female attacked him. Enraged, he tried to catch her arm and administer a bite to her shoulder, but he found himself snapping at air just before feeling the worst fear overcome him. It was as though everything inside him was screaming for him to run, to beg for mercy, or to dig a hole in the ground, one that would be deep enough to hide in.

Alice glanced at Jasper as she picked up the limp body of the human girl in her arms. He gave her a nod, understanding without words that she wanted him to finish off this vampire while she took the girl to Carlisle.

“Now that we are all alone,” Jasper said in the coldest tone that the nomad had ever heard in his long life, “how about you introduce yourself?”

The nomad, who was literally shaking in his boots, tried to gather his thoughts to battle the fear that had invaded his entire body. “C—Clyde J—J—Jensen.”

Jasper eased up on the fear a bit, wanting the vampire to be coherent enough to speak clearly but not too confident to think he could escape. Jasper was not in the mood to be chasing him across the border. “Clyde...I would say it’s been a pleasure making your acquaintance, but I see no point in lying to someone who isn’t going to be living for much longer.”

The nomad growled instinctively, not liking the talk about his imminent death, but he quieted down and crouched back at the black-eyed glare he received from the strange vampire before him.

“I am Major Whitlock.” Jasper grinned as another shiver went down the nomad’s spine and his fear spiked all on its own. _Nice to know that my name has not been forgotten._ “I see you’ve heard of me.”

The cold smile on the vampire’s lips caused the nomad to shiver again. Fear washed over him in waves, and he knew that he would, most likely, not survive this encounter. “I apologize, M—Major. I did not know this was your territory. I am sorry.”

“Oh, you’re not just yet, but you _will_ be.”

o.O.o

Ella knew that as soon as she lost consciousness, her life would be over. Her attacker was hell bent on killing her, and since she was unable to fight back, no other result could be expected. Therefore, when the darkness that was clouding in on her was suddenly interrupted by pain, she was shocked. Pain meant that she was not dead but very much alive—and very much aware of every single injury she had sustained during her fight with the demon.

The sound of beeping slowly filtered through the pain. Everything was still foggy and dark, and it took her another moment to realize that the darkness was due to her eyes being closed. She could hear soft murmurs, and she could tell she was no longer outside, but there was no heartbeat, so she assumed that her ears were just as unfocused as the rest of her body seemed to be.

Slowly forcing her eyelids to open, she was momentarily blinded by a bright light. The smell of detergents as well as the beeping sound and the feel of a needle stuck in her arm all told her that she was in a hospital room.

For a brief moment she wondered if her attacker had been suddenly struck with a guilty conscience. The thought was ridiculous, and Ella chuckled, but the pain that shot through her ribs told her that it was not a good idea to do that again. Blinking a few times, she looked around, and her eyes slowly focused enough to see the hospital sheets covering her, the machinery around her, and the man standing next to her bed.

She did not know what to make of him. A part of her wanted to jump his bones and beg for him to take her—a thought that caused a deep crimson blush to spread through her cheeks—and another part wanted to ask him to hold her and never let her go—an equally as silly and embarrassing idea that didn’t do much to ease her blush.

 _I really need to find out what kind of drugs they pumped into me._ She tried to shake the embarrassing thoughts away and focus on what was going on around her. She associated the beeping sound with the heart monitor she saw next to her bed, but there was still no heartbeat but her own in the room.

“Hello, my name is Doctor Cullen,” the man said.

“You have a beautiful voice,” she heard herself murmur, and she was instantly mortified at her lack of filter. “I’m sorry.”

She could not look up at him—she was much too embarrassed to do so—but she did look at his body. The white lab coat hinted at wide shoulders. The shapeless fabric could not hide his muscular chest or his slim waist, and Ella had to admit that she liked the way his body looked. _More_ than liked.

“How are you feeling?” he asked in that soft voice that sent shivers down her body.

“Like I went a few rounds against Big Foot and lost more than I won.”

He laughed. The rich sound was so enticing that she was looking up into his eyes before she even registered the desire to do so. His eyes were a very unique color of golden-brown. They were almost amber, and the tiny flecks of yellow and brown merged together to create what was possibly the most beautiful pair of eyes Ella had ever seen.

“Well, at least you sense of humor seems to be intact.”

 _My humor, maybe, but my pride definitely took as much of a beating as my body did,_ Ella thought. She didn’t really know what to make of the doctor. He was not human, that much she knew for certain. The lack of heartbeat was her first clue; the second was the fact that her Slayer Sense, while not ringing an alarm bell, was definitely telling her that there was something supernatural about him.

“So what’s wrong with me, doc?” She had a pretty good idea of what her injuries were, but she wanted to know what he would have to say. It wasn’t the best way to test if he was a real doctor, but it was the best she could come up with at that moment.

Carlisle held back the desire to shake his head. He knew that she must be in pain—her injuries had been severe—but she didn’t seem to want to show it. A part of him admired her bravery. “You have two broken ribs on your right side, and three cracked ones on your left. Luckily, you didn’t puncture your lungs. Your right ulna is broken, as you might have guessed from the cast you are currently sporting there.”

Ella nodded and immediately wished she hadn’t. The pain that spread in her head caused her vision to blur and a hiss to escape from her lips.

“You also have a mild concussion, which might cause some dizziness and headaches,” Carlisle added, noticing her wincing, and he, too, had to hold back a hiss. He didn’t understand it, but the desire to hurt whoever it was that had hurt her was almost overwhelming.

“Nothing mild about that bitch.” Ella wanted to slap herself for snapping at the doctor—she was willing to believe that he was one at least until she had proof otherwise. “I’m sorry. I’m cranky when I’m in pain,” she added, quick to apologize. “I’m guessing I’ve dislocated my shoulder again?”

Carlisle’s eyes widened slightly at the nonchalant way that she seemed to be treating her injuries, but he settled for a simple nod. “Your left ankle is sprained and will be sensitive for a week or two. We gave you a shot of morphine for the pain, but it should wear off soon. I have prescribed you some pain medication for when that happens.”

Ella sighed, wincing again when her ribs protested. She knew that she couldn’t stay in the hospital. For one, she didn’t want to make Carly worry, but more importantly, if she stayed much longer, someone might notice that she was healing much faster than she was supposed to.

Ella was aware that the presence of a non-human doctor—she refused to call him demon when everything about him said “good”—should have been one of the reasons for her to want to leave sooner rather than later, but it wasn’t. She found his presence surprisingly calming.

 _Or it could be the meds talking_ , she reminded herself.

“Do you remember your name?” he asked.

“Elleanora Belmont.” The answer was almost automatic, and she was glad that there was no hesitation in her tone.

“Good. I know you must have noticed that you’re in the hospital, but do you remember what happened to you?”

She hesitated this time, not wanting to give him the wrong answer but not sure what the right one might be. “Not much...I was going for a run, and I think I hit something?” _This should be innocent enough._

Ella knew that there must have been something to scare off the red-eyed creature from killing her, and she wondered if the doctor was the one who had found her, and if so, she was curious to know if he would admit it.

Carlisle chose his words carefully. “A passerby noticed you lying on the side of the road, bleeding. He brought you in but didn’t stay long enough to give his name. You appeared to have been assaulted and left for dead.” He tried to suppress the shiver that went down his spine at the memory of how close she had truly come to death. Alice had told him that when she and Jasper had arrived, the nomad was about to bite the girl.

 _He’s lying_. Ella was certain of it, but since it served her purpose, she decided not to argue. The more important issue on her mind was for her to get out of the hospital and get back home. “When can I leave?” she asked, sitting up, and she had to fight the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.

Carlisle pressed his hand on her uninjured left shoulder, halting her movements. “You’ll have to stay with us at least for tonight. I will check on you in the morning, and we’ll see from there.” He wasn’t about to let her leave before he was certain that she would heal. When his inner voice asked him why he was so worried about this girl, he told himself that he would have been just as concerned about any other patient.

“What time is it anyway?” Ella leaned back on the pillows, deciding not to cause more of a scene.

“It’s just a little after four in the morning. How is your vision? Do you feel dizzy?”

 _When you’re standing that close? Definitely_. Ella blushed beat red, praying that he couldn’t read the answer in her face. “Perfect vision. No dizziness,” she lied. She knew that the dizziness would pass soon. There was no need to tell the doc—no matter how handsome he was—and make him more suspicious of her.

Carlisle was glad to have his vampire mind at that point. He knew that had he been human he would not have been able to continue with the routine check-up. She could feel her toes just right, and she seemed coherent. He tried not to stare at her, but he found it nearly impossible to escape the amazing blue eyes that seemed to be following his every move. He heard her heart race when he touched her skin, and although he was wearing gloves, he feared that she had sensed the cold temperature of his hands nonetheless. “I apologize,” he murmured when he saw her shivering.

“It’s okay.” She shrugged and then hissed due to the pain spreading through her shoulder. _Note to self: Forget shrugging for the next few hours._ “It comes with the profession, doesn’t it?” She smiled brightly. Something about him made her want to ease the worry she saw in his expression.

Carlisle was momentarily caught in her smile. It lit up her face and he felt an answering smile spread on his lips. It was impossible to think about anything but her smile. Shaking the thought away, he scribbled several notes on her chart, forcing his eyes away from her face if only to be able to think straight once again.

Despite how bad her injuries had looked when she first arrived, she seemed to be improving rapidly. He reminded himself to take a look at the results of her blood tests that he had taken and sent to the lab when she was unconscious.

“I’d like you to try to sleep for a few hours,” he said without looking up from the chart. He suspected that if he were to look into her eyes again, he’d get tongue-tied like a teenager, just like he had before. “I’ll come to check on you in the morning.”

Taking a deep breath, he tore his eyes away from the chart. Their gazes locked, and both were quiet for a moment. He was suddenly assaulted with desires and wants that were completely foreign to him, and he knew that there was something very peculiar about the human before him. His instincts were not screaming danger, though. _Oh, no, definitely not danger, quite the opposite._

Ella couldn’t understand her reactions to this man, this doctor. _I should be feeling my Slayer senses ringing up an alarm right about now, but all I can think about is how beautiful he is and how it would be to feel his—_

“Have a good night, Miss Belmont.”

“Good night, Dr. Cullen,” she murmured.

She waited for several minutes, listening to the sound of his retreating footsteps as they grew fainter until she could hear them no longer. When another five minutes passed and she heard no more footsteps coming toward her room, she made her move.

She sat up and reached for the off button on the heart monitor with her healthy left hand. She knew that if she were to take off the monitor sensors without turning it off first, an alarm would sound and a nurse would come rushing in—she’d done that once and had had to lie her way out of the awkward situation before she could attempt another escape. Once the monitor was off, she pulled away all the sensors from her chest, took a deep breath, and with her right hand tore the IV from the crease of her elbow on her left arm. She hissed as pain shot through her shoulder and sat for several moments, just breathing in and out, until the pain subsided somewhat.

Throwing off the covers, she searched the room, but her sweats and hoodie were nowhere in sight. She sighed, muttering under her breath about another outfit ruined by stupid evil creatures.

 _First thing to find: clothes._ She couldn’t leave the hospital in nothing but the thin gown she was currently wearing.

She winced when her bare feet touched the cold floor and gritted her teeth to keep herself from crying in pain when she put her weight on her left ankle. _The son of a bitch really did a number on me._ She repeated the process of breathing in and out, embracing the pain and trying to think beyond it. Something told her that if she were to make too much noise, the much-too-handsome-for-his-own-good Dr. Cullen would make a re-appearance. _And he’d be none too happy to find me out of bed._

Focusing every bit of attention on her escape, Ella slowly walked to the door and slipped out of her room. She figured that her best bet, other than stealing another patient’s clothes, would be to look for some scrubs. They would allow her to blend in easier and should be fairly easy to get.

She tiptoed down the hallway, avoiding the windows in the doors to other rooms, and stopped when the hallway turned. She peeked around the corner and saw that the nurses’ station was located about a hundred and fifty feet away from her. Just beyond the station, which currently housed one nurse, she saw the sign she was looking for.

She mused whether she wanted to risk sneaking past the nurse, but when she heard a buzzing sound from the station, which was followed by the nurse leaving it, she smirked in satisfaction. It seemed as though another patient had called the nurse, thus paving Ella’s escape route.

Biting down on her lip, Ella ran past the nurses’ station, not knowing for how long the coast would be clear, and she flattened herself next to the door with the small sign reading, “Staff”. With tears running down her cheeks, she listened, searching for heartbeats and other sounds to alert her to anyone being present in the staff room, praying that it would be empty.

The door was surprisingly unlocked, not that it would have mattered to Ella, who could have easily broken in, but it was nice not to have to make any additional noise.

 _It’s about time for my luck to improve_ , she thought. _I’ve had enough bad luck tonight to last me for a lifetime._

Once she was inside, she wiped her tears away with her left hand and took off the sling her right arm was in. She might be able to pass for a member of the staff from afar, but not if she were to have a sling hanging down from her neck.

Pulling down a clean set of scrubs, Ella started with putting on the pants, holding onto the wall to balance herself when she had to put all of her weight on her left side. Her movements were slow and hesitant. Everything hurt, and she knew that the drugs were slowly wearing off. By the time she had the shirt on, her vision was blurred by tears again.

_Yes, the drugs are definitely wearing off._

She neither tried to dwell on the fact that she had nothing but her underwear on beneath the green hospital uniform nor that it seemed that one of her favorite bras also seemed to have fallen victim to the same stupid evil creature as the rest of her clothes.

The one good thing about the scrubs was that they were slightly too big for her, thus making them perfect for hiding her cast and the fact that she had no shoes on. Brushing her hair with her fingers, she listened for movements outside the room again. It was still quiet, and a peek out the window told her that the hallway was still empty.

Bracing herself, she pulled away from the wall and tried to walk as normally as she could out of the staff room and down the hall. She ducked into another room—a supply closet this time—in the next hallway and used several elastic bandages to form makeshift socks so at least she wasn’t barefoot anymore. _Ha! MacGyver’s got nothing on me._

As luck would have it, she was able to avoid the staff, and she made her way to the parking lot without catching anyone’s attention. It was still early enough to be dark outside, and she was grateful for it. Walking outside in scrubs, without any shoes, and not getting noticed would have been impossible during the day.

Making a mental note that she would need to break into the hospital records to erase any suspicious information they might find, Ella started the slow and painful walk home.

o.O.o

Carlisle felt like a complete idiot as he hid in his office from the small, mangled, human girl. Even if she wasn’t completely human, even if she was a slayer, he was perfectly aware that she wouldn’t be able to do much damage at this point. In fact, he doubted very much that she would be able to stand up, much less throw a punch.

He sighed, berating himself for the silliness of his thoughts and reactions. He sensed no danger coming from her. If anything, she had triggered his protective instincts, but that was only natural. He knew that he cared about his patients, and even if this one in particular elicited a slightly stronger reaction from him, it didn’t mean anything. It _couldn’t_.

He felt his cell phone vibrating and pulled out the little gadget from his pocket. He smiled when he saw who was calling.

“Alice.”

“How is she, Carlisle?”

“She’s recovering well,” he answered. “You brought her on time. What about the one who attacked her?”

Alice growled. “Jasper handled him.”

Carlisle could almost hear the smirk in her tone. He was slightly taken aback at the fierceness of Alice’s emotions on the matter. “That is good. Is everything okay?”

“We’ll talk when you get home, Carlisle. I’m not sure about everything myself just yet.”

“Very well, I will see you in a few hours.”

“Bye, Carlisle.”

“Bye, Alice.”

o.O.o

Carlisle did his best to convince himself that he was _not_ hiding in his office and that he was _not_ worried about his reaction to the human girl, but when it was time to make his morning rounds, he knew that it was time to put his own emotions and desires aside.

He did start with the patient furthest from her room, though, so that it was only around ten in the morning when he entered the room that was supposed to be hers and found it empty. He tasted the air and found that her scent was faded, meaning that she had been gone for a while. He was shocked. There were no other smells lingering in the room, which meant that she had managed to escape all on her own. How or why she would do something like that way beyond him.

He briefly considered that one of the other two doctors—the one who shared his night shift or the one who usually came in the morning—had discharged her, and asked for her file from the nurse at the reception. She had, in fact, been discharged, but the name on the bottom of the paper did not belong to one of the other doctors.

It was his own.

o.O.o

_Elsewhere..._

The dark room was illuminated only by a small desk lamp. The man sitting in the leather couch next to the desk was holding the morning paper, reading it with a satisfied expression on his face.

**_BODY FOUND IN DESERT IDENTIFIED AS LOCAL LAWYER_ **

**_BODY found in shallow grave in the desert to the northwest of Phoenix is that of Dean Arbel, local attorney who has been missing for ten days_ ** _._

**_Arbel was last seen by his secretary leaving his office on Friday afternoon. With no family, Arbel was reported missing on Monday morning by his secretary, Mrs. Sanders, when he failed to appear at a court hearing. Mrs. Sanders says that it was, “Highly unlike him to miss court.”_ **

**_The body was discovered by a group of travelers who reported to local law enforcement rangers..._ **

The man skimmed through the rest of the article, smiling. Things had gone extremely well, better than he had expected them to. The operation was not an easy feat to orchestrate, but things eventually worked out in his favor.

Lowering the paper to the desk, the man picked up his cell phone and dialed a number. The line was picked up on the other side immediately. “Yes?”

“It’s me.”

“I take it everything went according to plan?”

“Exceptionally so,” the man said, turning in his chair away from his desk. “I need you to arrange one more thing for me.”

“I’m listening.”

“I think I would enjoy a change of climate, and possibly a little less sleep.” He felt like an idiot, saying those words, but there was no such thing as _too_ careful.

“Understood.” There was some noise on the other side—shuffling of papers, tapping on a keyboard—and then the man on the other side spoke again. “Josef will pick you up on Friday when you arrive. Send me a fax number and I’ll send you the full details.”

“You are putting a lot of faith in young Josef,” the man in the dark room commented. “Are you sure he can handle it?”

“He was capable of handling Miss Belmont...”

“Good point. I will text you the number right away. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

The man pressed the _End_ button and leaned back into the couch. He sat for several more minutes before getting up and connecting his old fax machine. Once the ancient piece of junk was finally working, he texted the number to his contact.

Ten minutes later, the details of his flight arrived.

 _Efficient_ , he thought in approval.

He read through the details, seeing that he had about six hours before his flight, and went to pack for the trip. The apartment was rented under an alias and none of the furniture was worth worrying about—all cheap and bought at IKEA. The true valuable items were already hidden in the double bottom of his suitcase.

The man took a hot shower and then progressed to cleaning the apartment, wiping every surface that he had touched in the past week and a half. The chances of the police testing for fingerprints were slim to nonexistent, but he was a thorough man who left nothing behind him if he could help it.

Once the apartment was clean, he dressed in the nondescript business suit that he had picked up in Walmart, picked up his luggage, and walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind him. He made sure to leave cheap clothes in the closet—he had picked them up from a clothing donation box so they would never be traced back to him—some basic cutlery in the kitchen, and a bar of soap and a bottle of half-finished shampoo in the bathroom. Anyone walking into the apartment that wasn’t looking for the small details would assume that the person living there had simply walked out for a normal day at work.

He chose the bus over the taxi, preferring to blend in with the crowd rather than to arrive faster. The contact lenses he wore irritated him, but they gave him muddy-brown eyes that were easily forgettable. His hair had been dyed a little while ago to the same muddy-brown color.

The airport staff paid no attention to the slightly crumpled, middle-aged business man that boarded the evening flight to Seattle, Washington. He had made no special requests, and the flight attendants on board the flight had no more reason to remember him than any other passenger. The screaming baby in seat 36B and the lovebirds from seats 22C and 22D that decided to join the mile high club and got stuck in the lavatory were much more memorable.

o.O.o

The man that met Josef at the Arrivals gate in Sea-Tac airport was dressed to the T in a designer suit that cost twice as much as Josef made in a month. He was wearing dark sunglasses that seemed highly out of place in the cold, damp weather, and he carried a briefcase in one hand and a rolling suitcase in the other.

“Good evening, Mr. Smith,” Josef greeted the man with a bow.

The only response was a curt nod.

“May I help you with your luggage, sir?”

The man shook his head.

“Very well, please follow me, sir. The car is parked right outside.”

Josef knew better than to comment on his client’s lack of words. It wasn’t the first time he had been sent to meet a business man visiting Seattle, and this man wasn’t the first who spared him no attention.

The young man followed the chauffeur through the airport and into the black limousine that, as promised, was parked just outside the glass doors. He did not remove his glasses even when he was sitting inside the car, and he did not say a word during the drive to the apartment building in downtown Seattle.

Josef parked the car in front of the building and opened the door for his passenger. Once the man was out, he moved to the trunk of the car to bring the man his suitcase. After handing him the luggage, he took out an envelope that he had been instructed to give to the man before he left.

Again, the only response he received was a curt nod after the man took the envelope from his hands.

“Have a nice day, sir.” Josef bowed slightly and left.

The man in the designer suit opened the envelope, read the note inside it, and took out the enclosed key. He then went inside the building, paying no attention to the doorman, and proceeded directly to the elevators.

It was only after he was inside the apartment that he removed his sunglasses and allowed himself to relax.

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	11. Riddles

**Chapter Eleven – Riddles**

Ella felt as though scorching knives were being shoved into her ankle as she took the last few steps that brought her to her home. Her healing ability was quick, but it couldn’t kick in as long as she was putting pressure on the injured joint, and that meant that every moment of the two hour walk home from the hospital was pure agony. The cuts and bruises were already healed, her shoulder was on the mend as well, and she knew that it would take no more than a week for the broken bone in her arm to heal. All she needed was to let her body rest.

She did her best to be quiet as she entered the house, but as soon as she stood before the stairs, she knew that there was no way she was going to make it up them without help.

Ella turned to the living room and practically fell on the couch. She closed her eyes, lifting up her aching legs on the arm rest, and sighed. She needed a shower and probably a change of clothes, but she was just too tired to move.

 _Just for a moment_ , she thought. _I’ll just close my eyes for a moment..._

o.O.o

Carly was worried when she passed the open door to Ella’s bedroom and saw that the bed was still made as though Ella hadn’t slept in it at all. Grabbing the bat from the linen closet—she really hoped she wouldn’t hit Ella with it again—Carly slowly crept down the stairs. She checked the front door, found it locked, and turned to the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a sleeping Ella spread out on the couch.

If it wasn’t for Ella’s chest moving, Carly would have thought that there was a dead body lying in front of her, rather than a living person. Ella looked terrible. Her hair was a mess of knots, there were dark circles beneath her eyes, she was wearing hospital scrubs, and her right arm was in a cast.

_What on Earth...?_

Carly felt rage bubble up inside her. Someone, probably some _thing_ , had hurt her sister, and she wanted nothing more than to use the bat that she was still holding on that thing. Quietly, Carly made her way up the stairs again. She quickly went through her morning routine, grabbed a blanket from the linen closet—putting the bat back in there while she was there—and made her way down the stairs. She spread the blanket over Ella and closed the curtains so that the light wouldn’t bother her friend. She was headed to the front door when she heard Ella call her name.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s okay. I’m actually glad I caught you. I need your help.” Ella smiled when she sat up and noticed the blanket Carly had put on her. “Thank you for taking care of the lights and the blanket.”

Carly shrugged. “Don’t mention it.” Dropping her schoolbag on the floor, she walked back into the living room. “What do you need?”

 _A bucket of pain killers would be nice._ “I need hospital records taken care of. I sort of discharged myself.”

Carly chuckled. “You mean you took off in the middle of the night before they could turn you into a lab rat.”

“More like early morning, but yeah, that’s about it.” Ella smiled. “I was treated by a Dr. Cullen. What do you think we should do? I doubt stealing the paper would work here.” Phoenix was large enough that the occasional “losing” of a patient’s records wouldn’t seem suspicious, but in tiny Forks that wouldn’t work.

“No. I think we need to get you officially discharged,” Carly agreed. A moment later, a sly grin spread on her lips. “I have just the perfect idea.”

Ella watched in wonder as Carly raced up the stairs to her bedroom. She listened as Carly got into her bedroom, and a few moments later she could hear her typing on the keyboard. Ella was curious to know what her friend was up to, but she opted for staying put. She was still in pain. Even though she could already move her shoulder pain-free, her ankle was still very much sore. The hour’s rest she had gotten wasn’t much, but it allowed her quick healing to work its magic. The ribs on her left side were no longer sore, and the two broken ribs on her right side bothered her much less when she moved to sit up. She was actually surprised to note that even her broken arm wasn’t hurting as badly as it had when she got home. _Thank God for Slayer healing!_

Carly came back downstairs fifteen minutes later, holding a piece of paper and grinning.

“Now are you willing to share your idea?”

“Uh-uh.” Carly shook her head. “Do you think you’re strong enough to give me a lift to the hospital?”

“I think so. Why?” Ella raised a brow in suspicion. “Are we breaking and entering?”

“Yup. Among other things.” Carly giggled.

“All right, but you had better tell me what you came up with while I drive.”

o.O.o

“You are a genius!” Ella exclaimed as soon as Carly finished telling her the details of her plan.

“Why, thank you! Now all we need to do is execute it.”

“You do know what they say about the best laid plans...”

“Yeah, now shush! We so don’t need you jinxing us.” Carly rolled her eyes.

“True. I’ve had enough bad luck for one night. A little good fortune is definitely welcome.” Ella smiled.

Carly shivered. She just didn’t understand how Ella could be so calm about the demon attacking her, about coming so close to death. No matter how long she had known Ella, Carly couldn’t understand how her friend could be so accepting of her own imminent death. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like to live, since the age of sixteen, with the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head. Thinking about the many close calls Ella had had during the past two years was too depressing, so Carly shook them away. _Focus on the mission ahead,_ she ordered herself.

“Okay. Give me ten minutes and then start,” Ella said as she got out of the car.

“Ten minutes. Got it.”

Carly watched as Ella disappeared amongst the parked cars in the hospital’s parking lot and began counting down the minutes. This was the hard part of the mission: the waiting. She watched the clock on the dashboard. Each minute seemed to be taking hours to pass. She waited till eight minutes had gone by before she left the car and made her way to the line of cars closest to the hospital. As soon as her wristwatch signaled that ten minutes had passed since Ella had left, Carly went into action.

She was giggling to herself as she began setting off the alarms of each and every car in the parking lot, working from the hospital outward. The noise was so loud that her ears were ringing, but she couldn’t stop laughing. Once she had about twenty cars with their alarms going off, she ran into the reception and called, “Does anyone here own a blue Chevy? I think someone’s trying to steal it.”

“WHAT?”

It wasn’t very hard for Carly to find the names of the hospital staff. It was a little more time consuming to find their schedule, but as soon as she had both, she hacked into the DMV’s database and checked to see which car one of the nurses on shift owned. Since there were only four working the morning shift, Carly had to gamble on one of the four cars. She hoped that she’d either get it right or the nurse in reception would know whose car it was and leave her station unattended due to curiosity.

As luck would have it, she picked the right car, and Nurse Jackson nearly flew out of her seat and into the parking lot. The few people who were in the waiting room were also preoccupied with the mess outside.

“If you parked your car outside, you might want to go take a look. I heard someone saying that there was more than one thief.” And with that, Carly walked outside the ER doors and stood with the large crown that was gathering outside. There were shouts about hooligans, and she even overheard someone saying that they had called the police.

She waited with the crowd until she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned, she saw Ella standing behind her.

“Five minutes. Meet me in the parking lot behind the Thriftway,” Ella whispered.

Carly nodded and glanced at her wrist to time it. It took only three minutes for the police to arrive, and Carly knew that it was time for her to scram. She used the mass of people as her cover and quickly walked away. It took another two minutes for her to get to the rendezvous point, where Ella was already waiting for her in the car.

“Carly Belmont, you are a genius!” Ella said as soon as Carly was inside the car. “I nearly pissed myself laughing when that nurse shot up faster than a speeding bullet!”

Carly grinned. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

“All right, Hannibal, let’s get the hell out of here,” Ella said, shaking her head. _Trust Carly to make reference to the A-Team._

“I take it your part went off without a hitch?”

“Yup, it did. He’ll know that it’s a fake, but I think he has just as much to lose as I do,” Ella said.

“How are you feeling?” Carly frowned as she thought about her friend’s injuries. She knew that she healed fast, but she was still worried that the amount of effort that went into the execution of the plan was too much for her.

“I’m good, actually.” _Surprisingly so,_ Ella thought. Her ankle was as good as new, her ribs only slightly tender, and the pain in her shoulder long since forgotten. Even for a slayer, this was fast. “I didn’t see the blood test results in my file, but I don’t think there’s anything too freakish in them. Well, I hope not. There’s really nothing I can do about them right now, and I doubt that anyone would call me out on it even if there was something.”

“And if they do, I can always come up with a plan to, um, _retrieve_ it from them.” Carly winked.

Ella laughed. “So, skipping school with me today, Carly? Or do you want me to drop you off?”

“Most definitely skipping.” Carly nodded. “I think breakfast is in order, and I want to see if we can make some progress with that annoying riddle that we found in the safe.”

“Sounds good to me.”

They made it back home in a few more minutes—Forks was truly a small town—and went about having a light breakfast. Ella found out that she wasn’t nearly as hungry as she thought she would be, but a shower was definitely in order.

“I’m going up to wash myself and change. I’ll meet you in my room in about half an hour?” Ella asked when they finished loading the dishes in the dishwasher.

“Sure,” Carly said. “Have fun and try not to drown.”

Ella rolled her eyes at Carly’s teasing. “Yeah, yeah.”

She took a plastic bag and went up the stairs. After taking a change of clothes with her, she went to the bathroom. It wasn’t the first time she had broken her arm, and sadly, Ella knew that it would probably not be the last, either. She wrapped the plastic bag around her arm to keep the cast dry and stepped into the shower.

The hot water felt heavenly on her skin. Washing off the grime felt almost as good as two hours’ worth of sleep. It was hard, washing her body and hair with only one working hand, but Ella felt that if she didn’t, she would go mad.

After her hair was clean and her body no longer felt as though she had taken a tumble in the city’s landfill, she took several minutes to just stand under the flow of hot water and let her thoughts wander. She was surprised to note that the blond doctor was most prominent in her mind. There was something about him that made her feel as though she wanted to spend more time with him. Her imagination formed images of them taking a walk in the forest, his hand resting on her waist, followed by images of them in some unknown house, sitting in front of the fireplace.

She imagined the way the fire would cast shadows on his strong jawline, how the flames would be reflected in those beautiful amber eyes of his. It did no use for her rational side to insist that he was not human, that she knew he was not human, and that because of that, she could never have anything remotely close to her imaginings with him. Something very basic in her wanted to be with him, wanted to make those fantasies come true.

Ella sighed when she felt a tightening in her chest. _It’s not so hard to figure out that all I really want is just to be loved._ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to center herself. This was not the time to fall apart into an emotional mess. This was a time to be strong. She was the Slayer, and she had demons to slay.

o.O.o

After Ella finished her shower, Carly brought up the riddle they had found in Richter Belmont’s safe in Port Angeles, and the two girls sat on Ella’s bed, ready to do some work.  
  
“Okay,” Ella started. “I’ll read it aloud, and let’s see what we can make of it.”

“Okay,” Carly agreed.

“ _In blood it is forged and in blood will release._

_Go to the stone that your heart will please._

_Look not where it rises, nor where it sets._

_Look for the polar and turn your back west._

_The worthy’s right, the heir is left._

_Reach out and listen and you will get_ ,” Ella read.

“Why does it always have to be blood?” Carly groaned.

Ella rolled her eyes. “I guess the first line is obvious. We’ll need to use blood to find this weapon.”

“Yes, but where do we start looking?” Carly asked. “ _Look not where it rises, nor where it sets_. It sounds like it speaks about the sun, so not east and not west, but then it says to turn your back west, so you should be looking east. It makes no sense.”

Ella read the lines again silently. “It refers to a stone,” she said. “I wonder if it’s a boulder or a brick or a wall made of stone.”

“Could be anything.” Carly shrugged. “We’ve got plenty of boulders in the forest, and there’s no lack of brick in the basement.”

“The basement?” Ella felt that there was something about the basement that was important. She’d been there only once before—when she put away her weapons in there.

“Yes, the walls there seem to be the oldest part of this house. They feel like they’re made of stone.”

Ella was out the door before Carly even finished the sentence.

“I guess we go to the basement,” Carly murmured under her breath. She grabbed the paper with the riddle and followed Ella.

o.O.o

By the time Carly had made it downstairs, Ella was already standing in the middle of the mostly-empty basement.

“Not east, not west,” Ella mumbled to herself. “ _Look for the polar and turn your back west_.” Then she turned, placing herself so that her back was to the west and her face to the east. “Polar what? Polar bear? Polar...”

“The north pole?” Carly suggested.

Ella’s head shot up. “Of course! Polar means northern. Look for the polar means look north!”

“What about the rest, then?” Carly asked. “Do you think that, “ _The worthy is right, the heir is left,_ ” means that you need to look left and right?”

“Richter said that I was his descendent, right? His heir?”

“Right. You are the only one left—the only _heir_ left!” Carly said excitedly. “That means that if you are worthy...then you are right? Okay, that doesn’t make much sense.”

“I think that it’s meant to confuse. I am the only one left, and if I’m worthy, I need to look right.” Ella turned to the northern wall to her right and focused on the stones there. “I don’t think that we should take the last lines literally either.”

“ _Reach out and listen and you will get,_ ” Carly recited from the paper she was holding. “If you think about the first lines that talk about your heart and your blood, then what I think it means is that you need to reach out with your heart and let your instincts, your _family_ blood, guide you.”

“Interesting,” Ella agreed. “It would definitely fit with the way prophecies are usually written.”

“Be as cryptic as possible; it’s not like someone’s ever going to need to figure you out?” Carly offered.

Ella chuckled. “Yeah, sounds about right.”

“Stupid prophecies,” Carly murmured.

Ella agreed but didn’t speak. She began running her fingers on the northern wall of the basement, trying to see if anything popped out. “Can you read me that riddle again?” she asked without turning her eyes away from the wall. “Slowly.”

“Sure,” Carly replied and read the riddle aloud, pausing after each line and waiting for Ella’s nod before she continued to the next one.

When Ella reached the corner of the room, she stopped walking. _This isn’t working,_ she thought. _I’m missing something. What should I be listening for?_

“It’s going to take a while.” Ella looked up at Carly with an apologetic look. “Why don’t you go upstairs while I think?”

“No problem.” Carly walked towards the stairs. “Call me if you find anything, okay?

“I will.”

o.O.o

Ella sat down on the floor after pacing for another ten minutes after Carly’s departure. Nothing came to mind. She was certain that the answer was right in front of her, that all she had to do was to reach out and find it, but she couldn’t see anything about the wall that was unusual. She tried knocking on the stones to see if there was an echo, but everything sounded solid.

At some point, Carly asked her if she wanted to have lunch. Ella replied in the affirmative, slightly amazed that she didn’t notice how long she had been sitting in the basement.

_Look for the polar and turn your back west._

There was something about this line that was bugging her. She felt that she was missing something about it.

 _Polar doesn’t only mean northern,_ she thought. _It can also be opposite, but opposite of what?_

From her place at the bottom of the northern wall, she let her eyes wander across the room, and suddenly, something caught her eye. On the opposite wall, just a foot above ground level, was a small symbol.

_Or, it can mean both! The opposite of the northern wall is the southern wall._

She quickly rose and walked to the symbol on the wall.

_The heir is left, of course!_

The symbol was a carving in the stone made in the shape of a lion on his two hind legs, much like you would see in a family crest. It even had a small crown on its head. That was when another part of the riddle clicked into place. The riddle line was, “the _worthy’s_ right,” not, “the worthy _is_ right.”

Thinking back to previous prophecies and rituals that she had read and performed in the past, Ella had an idea as to how she could prove herself worthy.

She went to her weapons cabinet and took out a small dagger. Making three small cuts in her right palm, she pressed it to the wall, just above the lion, and moved it so that the blood was smeared on the surface of several bricks around the lion. When she took her hand off the wall, she saw that there was a purple glow emanating from the brick just below the lion.

“Carly?” she called. “I think I found it.”

She curled her fingers around the glowing brick and pulled it toward her. It took some strength, and Ella could feel her broken right arm protesting against the effort, but the brick slowly began to move.

“Ella? You called?” Carly asked from the top of the stairs to the basement.

“Yes. I think I got it.” Ella reached into the hollow space behind the brick and felt something wrapped in a cloth. She pulled it out and noticed that the cuts on her palm were already healed to nothing more than pinkish lines. _Odd, usually it takes longer than that._

“What do you have there?” Carly asked, drawing Ella’s attention away from her palm.

“I don’t know yet.” Ella chuckled.

“Well, let’s go upstairs so those of us who don’t have super human night vision can see, too, ‘kay?”

“Sure.” Ella smiled. “Lead the way.”

o.O.o

“Okay, what the hell is it?” Carly stared at the weird looking cross Ella was holding. “And how is it a great weapon?”

The object looked a lot like a giant crucifix, with a handle that was slightly longer than usual. It didn’t look like much of a weapon to Carly, but Ella, holding the item in her hands, could feel the power emanating from it.

“I don’t know yet, Carly,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I think that there’s more to it than meets the eye.”

“Figures,” Carly grumbled. “Cryptic riddle—check. Just as cryptic weapon—check.”

“The life of the Slayer.” Ella chuckled. “Now, I remember you saying something about lunch?”

“Yeah, I think I remember something like that,” Carly teased and giggled when Ella gave her a playful poke to her side. “All right, all right! Don’t eat me, will ya?”

“If you don’t put food on the table soon, I won’t have much of a choice,” Ella threatened jokingly.

“Go wash your hands, Conan.”

“Hey! I’m the Slayer, not a barbarian!”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

o.O.o

Carlisle made it back to his house a few hours before Alice and Jasper were due to return from school. He was feeling very confused, and he wasn’t used to the feeling.

He had noticed the commotion outside the hospital early in the morning while he was making his rounds, but he only understood its context when he smelled the trace of Ella Belmont’s scent on the discharge papers. He had to admire her resourcefulness. He knew, possibly better than anyone else, just how badly she had been hurt. Pulling a disappearing act as she had done that morning was something that Carlisle knew no regular human could have achieved. _But she’s no regular human, is she?_

He had taken another look at her blood work after seeing the forged signature, this time going for the source itself. He was amazed at what he saw. The blood looked completely normal, but when he introduced it to a virus that would have attacked a normal human’s blood cells, _her_ white blood cells destroyed the virus and repaired the damage four times faster than a human’s white blood cells could have. After seeing that, he knew that her injuries must have healed enough to allow her to escape the hospital and forge the documents.

His curiosity about her had grown tenfold. The scientist in him wanted to know more about her abilities, to study her like he had done with many other phenomena he had come across in his long life. The man in him was still dazzled by her beauty, his admiration for her increasing. However, it was the response of the vampire side of him that left Carlisle confused. That side was drawn to her just as much as the rest of him, possibly even more than that.

He had never experienced anything like it before. True, he had been attracted to many women in his long life, both human and vampire, but it was never as intense. Even when he thought himself in love with Esme, a part of him—which, at the time, he had pushed to the back of his mind—was telling him that it was nothing more than physical attraction.

Carlisle even made a detour on his way back home just so he could drive by her house. He heard nothing unusual coming from there. From the little he was able to hear—he didn’t stop, as it would have been highly suspicious, but just drove by as slowly as he could without drawing attention—the girl seemed to be sharing a meal with her sister. All this told him was that she needed sustenance like a normal human being and that she had missed school that day, both facts not unpredictable.

He went up to his bedroom after arriving home. For the first time since moving to Forks with his family, his study could not provide him with comfort. He took off his shoes and lay on the bed, folding his arms beneath his head. It had been centuries since he last slept, but lying down, closing his eyes, and letting his mind wander was still comforting.

His thoughts were full of questions about the girl, only this time, he allowed himself to refer to her by her first name—Elleanora. He liked the short version she had chosen—Ella—but found that her full name had a certain charm about it, an appeal that awoke desires Carlisle had almost forgotten about.

He pictured himself acting out on his urge to touch her face, wanting to feel her skin without the barrier of plastic gloves on his hands. Her hair would be silky smooth between his fingers. Despite the blonde shade she wore nowadays, he could see that her natural color was much darker, and he desperately wanted to see if his imagination of her as a brunette did her justice.

Carlisle couldn’t understand his own emotions, but when he heard Alice and Jasper arriving, he decided to put those thoughts aside. He could deal with the vampire’s equivalent of raging hormones later.

o.O.o

"Carlisle? How is she?" Alice asked, not bothering with pleasantries as she stormed into the house. "She wasn't in school. Is she still in the hospital?"

"She is not in the hospital." Carlisle shook his head and chuckled at her antics. "She actually orchestrated a nice distraction and escaped before I made my morning rounds."

"Distraction?" Jasper asked.

"The entire parking lot of the Forks Community Hospital had its alarms set off,” Carlisle explained. “I assume that this was when she snuck back in and forged my signature on the release papers."

"Snuck back in?" Jasper was shocked. "She didn't look like she was going to make it, and you're saying that she just walked out within hours of being brought in?"

“Yes.” Carlisle nodded. “I was amazed myself. However, when I took a look at her blood, I found something very interesting. Her blood regenerates itself much quicker than any human I have ever seen or heard about. I think that there might be truth to the legend of the Slayer after all.”

“You think that her entire body heals that much quicker than humans,” Jasper noted.

He was curious to taste the emotional climate that Carlisle was currently in. As he spoke of the girl, Carlisle’s emotions would spike, but they weren’t the negative emotions that Jasper had felt himself on his first meeting with the girl; Carlisle’s emotions were almost affectionate. There was even an edge of protectiveness, and that was throwing Jasper into a deeper confusion.

“Yes, I do. I do think that a broken bone would still need a long period of time to heal, but the minor injuries would probably be gone by the end of today,” Carlisle said. “Alice, I have to ask, you said that you can’t see her, so how did you know that she was in trouble?”

“I didn’t,” she answered. “I was sitting outside with Jasper, and suddenly...”

Jasper wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, comforting her with his touch. He could feel and see the fear she felt as she recalled her vision. He leaned and kissed her on the head.

Alice smiled at him and then looked back at Carlisle. “I had a vision of us. We were miserable, all three of us, but you were the worst. I don’t know what had caused us to look so bad, but at the end of the vision I saw you going to Marcus and asking him something that left him with a shocked but understanding expression. As soon as I decided to go to through a certain path in the forest, our future turned bright again. I don’t know why, but she’s important.”

Carlisle took a moment to consider the information. He wondered what it was about Elleanora that was so important.

“I wonder why she was out so late in the first place,” Jasper said.

“Well...” Alice looked sheepish. “If she is the Slayer...”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “Slaying vampires? Come on, Alice. The guy was dumb as a post. If she’s the Slayer, she’s not doing such a good job at it.”

“I’m pretty certain that there is something about her,” Carlisle commented. It was only his great self-control that allowed him to avoid growling at Jasper. His emotions gave him away, though, and Jasper looked at him with a quirked brow.

“Why are you so annoyed with me, Carlisle?” Jasper asked, curious to feel such a burst of animosity from Carlisle.

“I apologize.”

Jasper smiled. “But you still want to rip my head off.” He found it immensely amusing that the controlled vampire he had known for decades was giving off vibes not unlike those of an annoyed newborn.

“Stop teasing him, Jasper!” Alice glared at him. “I told you, Ella is important.”

Carlisle agreed wholeheartedly. He did not know why, and he still couldn’t understand how, but he was certain that she was important.

“Did you sense the danger emanating from her when you looked at her?” Alice asked.

“No, not at all,” Carlisle said. “I felt...”

“Protectiveness, anger, care, worry, desire,” Jasper supplied, reading the emotional residue that was passing through Carlisle as he was remembering his interaction with the girl. “Well, that sure complicates things.”

Seeing that Jasper wanted to talk to her, Alice turned to Carlisle. “I think Jasper and I could use a hunting trip.”

There was enough innuendo in her tone that Carlisle knew there would be very little hunting done during their trip, and while he did feel a pang of jealousy, he welcomed the idea of being alone for a little while longer. He needed to sort through his own emotions, and he would have liked to do so without witnesses.

“Have a nice trip,” he said, turning to go back upstairs.

He heard Alice giggle and Jasper chuckle as they left the house, but his mind was already elsewhere.

o.O.o

Alice could barely contain herself long enough before they were out of Carlisle’s hearing range. The moment she was certain he wouldn’t hear her, she squealed so loudly that Jasper wondered if vampires could go deaf.

“I assumed you saw what I had figured out. Can’t surprise Ali the Magnificent, can I?” He smiled widely, enjoying the happy expression and the vibrant joy that was pouring out of his mate in waves.

She nodded, squealing again. She was bouncing up and down and clapping her hands.

“You have a kind heart, Alinka. That is one of the things I love most about you.” He pulled her in for a hug, missing feeling her in his arms.

“He deserves happiness, Jasper,” Alice whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning into his body.

“I agree, Ali. He does.”

“This isn’t going to be easy for them,” Alice murmured, saddened by the sudden realization.

Jasper tightened his hold on her. “Nothing worth keeping ever is.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	12. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes

**Chapter Twelve - A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes**

Ella was dreaming that dream again, the dream where a blond man was holding and kissing her. She felt herself smile against his lips and knew she was murmuring something, but she couldn’t hear the words or make out their meaning. She could see more details than before though, like his long fingers as they curled around her waist and the bare broad shoulders that were hovering over her body. She could feel something shifting, and it took her a few seconds to figure out what had changed. The mystery man with the long fingers and soft silky hair laid her on her back and was hovering over her.

She couldn’t see his face, not really, but she knew that he had a strong jaw line and kind eyes. She smiled when he leaned down to kiss her and felt his body covering hers. She welcomed his weight, welcomed his touch, and when suddenly the dream changed and the man was no longer above her, she was alarmed.

Ella turned her head to look for him, but he was no longer facing her. His back was turned and there was a hissing sound. She looked around and saw that she wasn’t in the lovely meadow anymore; she was in the middle of a dark forest. The man in front of her had morphed into a small female with jet black hair.

Suddenly there was pain—in her arm, in her shoulder, in her ribs, in her leg, everywhere—and there were some words exchanged before everything turned to a blur. She could feel herself being carried somewhere, but she couldn’t see anything but darkness.

Another shift came, another time lapse, and she felt herself being touched again by cold hands. She still couldn’t see anything, and she was still in too much pain to speak. The hands that were touching her were getting colder, but the touch wasn’t as impersonal as she expected it to be. She heard more growling, followed by whispered words that she couldn’t make out. Then, there was nothing but darkness, and after a few immeasurable moments, a pair of red eyes appeared in the darkness just a moment before she felt something sharp tear through her neck.

Ella shot up in her bed, panting and sweating. This was the first time her pleasant dream had turned into a nightmare. It wasn’t hard for her to guess why she’d had one; the events of the previous night were still very fresh in her mind. The close call she’d had with death was something that she might have brushed off in front of Carly, but Ella couldn’t lie to herself.

She hadn’t come that close to death since that monster, Alucard, had held her by the throat, but even then, she was ready for death, her mindset willing to accept it as an option. Last night was a curve ball she had not seen coming.

Slowly getting up from her bed, Ella went to start her morning routine. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so she saw no point in lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for another two hours.

Once she was dressed, she went downstairs to make breakfast for her and Carly. Yesterday, Carly did all the cooking, so Ella thought it was only fair that she pitched in today. Moving quietly and smoothly through the kitchen, Ella decided to make French toast, a fruit salad, and a cup of tea. She laughed at her own preference of tea over coffee, thinking that it was very British of her, but she preferred it nonetheless. Carly was more of a hot chocolate kind of girl, and by the time Ella found herself in the middle of making breakfast, her mood was so cheerful that she made Carly hot chocolate, adding a dollop of whipped cream on the top.

It wasn’t until she was setting the table that she noticed something that caused her to freeze in her place. She was being watched. She could distinctly feel someone watching her every move, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. In fact, Ella was amazed to note that it gave her a certain comfort; it felt as though whoever was watching her was there to protect her, rather than to spy on her.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_ She wanted to kick herself. _Have I gone completely mental? Did that creature do something to my senses?_

This was not the normal response she should have to being watched. For all she knew, the demon from the night before could be the one watching her.

_I’m going crazy...I’m losing what’s left of my mind._

Her head snapped to the window, but as soon as her gaze fixated on the forest, the sensation of being watched was gone. Ella’s cheerfulness and good mood were gone. She felt a tightening in the pit of her stomach and a current of awareness running through her spine. She felt dizzy, overwhelmed, and she definitely needed to sit down.

Almost dropping onto one of the chairs, Ella tried to shake away the feelings. She took several deep breaths, closing her eyes to focus. Stewart had taught her that technique a long time ago as part of her training, and now she was grateful for it.

It took several minutes, but by the time Carly’s alarm clock went off, Ella felt ready to face the day again. There was still uneasiness, still weariness, but it felt more natural to her than the odd sense of security and comfort she had felt earlier.

Ella used the time that it took Carly to get ready and come down to finish making breakfast and push away all the negative thoughts from her mind.

“Mmm...Something smells good!” Carly called as she descended the stairs. “Wow, Ella!”

Ella smiled. “Come on, let’s sit down and eat!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice! Damn, this looks good.”

And just like that, with her friend wolfing down the food, Ella’s good mood was back.

o.O.o

Alice was still smiling as Jasper pulled the car into the Forks High parking lot. Carlisle was still completely oblivious, and it was too amusing to watch; both she and Jasper had agreed that it would be best for him to make the discovery on his own, so neither one told him anything.

It wasn’t until lunchtime that Alice overheard something that made her good mood go sour.

“I think we should tell her,” she said to Jasper, knowing that he had heard the conversation between the two girls on the other side of the cafeteria. “Maybe just the basics, but it is only fair that she doesn’t have to worry.”

Jasper nodded in agreement. “After school, or do you want to approach her after lunch?”

“Why don’t we ask Ella herself?” Alice suggested.

The words had barely left her mouth when Ella turned her head to look at them. “What do you want to ask me?” she asked in a low, even tone.

“Can we meet up to talk?” Jasper asked. “Neutral ground. We only need to tell you something, but we shouldn’t be overheard.”

“What is it about?”

Alice was the one to answer this time. “About how you got that cast on your arm.”

“What’s up, Ella?” Carly asked.

“They want to talk. Apparently, they have something to tell me,” Ella replied. “Neutral ground, but they don’t want us to be overheard.”

Carly frowned. “I don’t want you meeting them on your own.”

Ella smiled. “Want me to let you bring your bat?” She giggled. “You have a pretty good technique. I can testify to that myself.”

Carly scowled at her. “Not funny! And I said I was sorry!”

Jasper exchanged a confused look with Alice. Alice wanted to point out that a bat wouldn’t do them any damage, but knew better than to say anything aloud.

“You can bring your friend with you,” Jasper said. “We mean you no harm, but if it makes you feel safer and if you can trust her, we don’t mind.”

“He says you can come, too.”  
  
Ella smiled when she heard Carly huff and mumble, “As if you could keep me away,” under her breath.  
  
“Meet me in the parking lot behind building three after classes are out,” Ella said, addressing Jasper and Alice. “I’d like this to draw as little attention as possible.”

“So would we. We will meet you there,” Jasper agreed.

o.O.o

It wasn’t hard to find out the names of the two yellow-eyed demons; all Carly had to do was drop a hint, and the gossip mills were all too happy to share everything they knew about the Cullens. It was probably mostly wrong, but she wanted to know as much as possible before going into this meet-up.

Carly shared what she knew with Ella during their last class of the day. She did not dare say a word during Chemistry because they shared that class with Alice, and Carly did not want to take the chance of being overheard. She knew that she probably wouldn’t be saying anything Alice hadn’t heard before, but she didn’t want to take the chance.

“Jasper and Alice live with their uncle, Dr. Cullen,” Carly whispered to Ella. “The rumor has it that Dr. Cullen adopted Jasper, who is his nephew, and Jasper’s girlfriend, Alice, came to live with them. They both dropped out of high school, so they are repeating their senior year so they can get a diploma.”

“Where are you getting all of this?” Ella asked in amazement.

“Jessica Stanley was more than happy to share.” Carly rolled her eyes. “Since this _is_ Jessica we’re talking about, I’d take everything with a grain of salt, of course.”

“Of _course_ ,” Ella agreed. “I would say that they are related, but I think it’s more of a... _species_ relation we’re talking about here.”

“Yeah. If they were blood relatives, it would be really gross.” Carly made a face as she thought about Alice and Jasper, who seemed attracted to each other, being related. “Speaking of which, what did your Spidey Sense tell you about the doc?”

Ella kept her eyes on her textbook as she answered. “He’s not human either.”

“You know that’s not what I’m asking!” Carly examined Ella carefully and could have sworn she saw a faint blush on her cheeks. “Did you freeze in front of him like you did with them? Is he evil?”

“Neither one of them feels evil, Carly,” Ella said with a sigh. “Alice and Jasper feel...powerful, I guess is the word I’m looking for. Dr. Cullen feels different. It’s like Alice and Jasper have an extra sense, an extra gift, if you will, that Dr. Cullen doesn’t.”

“Hmm.” Carly was by no means happy to hear that, but she could see that Ella either didn’t have anything else to share or didn’t want to share whatever else she had on her mind.

o.O.o

Ella delayed in changing after PE until she was certain that the parking lot would be empty for the most part. She met Carly outside the building, and they made their way together to the parking lot behind building three. Alice and Jasper were already there, waiting.

Ella stopped, with several yards separating them. _This is close enough_.

Jasper stood slightly before Alice. He understood that, logically, Ella wouldn’t be able to harm Alice—he had seen how she fared against the nomad—but his instincts were still telling him that she was dangerous. He wasn’t having the same reaction to her as he did the first time their eyes had met, and he imagined that familiarity had soothed a part of his tension.

“I’m here,” Ella said simply.

Jasper recognized her stance. It was a relaxed yet ready-to-fight sort of posture. Wordlessly, he glanced at Alice, keeping Ella in his peripheral.

“We overheard that you were worried about the red-eyed nomad in the woods,” Alice said.

“A nomad?” Ella cocked her brow.

“Yes. We just wanted to tell you that there is no need for you to worry about him. He will not harm anyone ever again,” Alice said.

“He’s dead,” Ella stated bluntly.

“Yes,” Jasper confirmed.

He felt a smile tug at his mouth. He might not be able to sense her emotions, but he found himself enjoying the display of emotions in her eyes. There was something about her that told him she was a fighter. She might have taken a beating by the nomad, but she would heal and get back in the game. In a way, Jasper thought that she was on their side. If Carlisle’s theory was true, and Jasper was starting to believe that it was, this girl was destined to protect humans from evil. He could respect that.

“Are you sure?” Ella asked. “I’ve seen things that look dead, smell dead, and yet they were still up and around, killing people.”

Her words told Jasper that she was no stranger to the supernatural world. “He was dismembered and burned down to ashes,” he said. “He’s dead.”

“Good,” Ella said. “There’s one less vermin walking the earth. Is there anything else?”

“No, that is all,” he replied.

Ella stood a few more moments, looking at the couple. Jasper had his body still angled before Alice’s, and Ella imagined that he was seeing her as a threat. She was both pleased and slightly worried. If he saw her as an enemy, as a danger to someone he cared about, he wouldn’t hesitate to take her out of the game.

“We’re on your side, Ella,” Alice said softly.

Ella snorted.

“Okay, let me rephrase; we have the same goal, and that is to keep the people in Forks safe and alive.”

“You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t just take your word for it.” Ella smiled coldly. “You’re not human,” she stated bluntly.

Jasper tensed.

“No, we’re not,” Alice confirmed.

“I haven’t seen you munching on the local population yet, but as for turning my back to you? Jury’s still out.” Ella stepped aside, and without turning her back to them, she walked over to her car.

“I wonder how they knew about the creature,” Carly said after they were inside the car and Ella was driving out of the parking lot.

“I imagine they either saw or smelled him in the forest,” Ella replied. “I would bet that they were the ones who took me to the hospital that night.”

“To make sure that you were treated by someone who can keep an eye on suspicious injuries,” Carly was quick to conclude.

“As much as I hate to say it, I think that they might have saved my life.”

“What?” Carly’s head snapped up to glare at Ella.

The effect wasn’t lost just because Ella was driving and looking straight ahead; she could still see Carly’s anger in the corner of her eye. She also knew that under that anger lay great care.

“You never told me it was that bad, Ella!”

“I was fine, Carly.”

“Bullshit!”

“Well, what the fuck do you want me to say?” Ella yelled, losing her temper. “Yes, I nearly fucking died, and yes, it came close, but that’s just my screwed up life, Carly. I really don’t need a lecture from you right now!”

“I’m just worried about you, Ella! You’re my only family! I don’t have anyone else left.” The anger turned into tears, and Carly balled her hands into fists, trying to control her own emotions, hating the fact that she was breaking down. “I don’t want to lose you, too, Ella,” she added in a small voice.

Ella sighed, swallowing back tears of her own. “I know. I don’t want to die, either. I just have to keep looking forward. If I keep thinking about what could happen, I would never be able to go on another patrol. It’s more than just protecting some faceless people, Carly. It’s keeping the people I love alive.”

Tears were streaming down both girls’ faces as Ella parked the car in their driveway.

“I’ve failed my parents. I’ve failed Stewart. I’m scared that I might have failed Dean,” Ella said, still looking forward. “I don’t want to fail you. I know that you only got involved in this world because of me.”

“That’s not true!” Carly insisted. “Alucard got me involved the moment he decided to take a bite.”

“No.” Ella shook her head. “I could have lied to you. I could have left you in the hospital with no answers, but I _chose_ to bring you into my world out of a selfish need for a friend.”

“It’s not selfish to want to have friends.”

“It is if you’re the Slayer.” Ella turned to face Carly. “I wish I could have kept you safe, but I can’t say I am truly sorry that I answered your questions that day in the hospital.” She smiled weakly. “I gained a sister, after all.”

“Get over here and give me a hug, sister!” Carly pulled Ella for a tight hug, laughing through her tears. “Just...I don’t want you lying to me—”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Lying by omission is still lying,” Carly pointed out as they pulled back. “I know that you’d want to keep some things to yourself, but please, don’t lie to me because you think that you’re protecting me.”

“I will do my best.”

“Good. Now, can we stop crying like a couple of babies and get in the house?” Carly smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m cold and hungry!”

Ella laughed, wiping her cheeks. “Yeah, we can.”

o.O.o

_Elsewhere..._

Even years after seeing Carlisle, Esme was still furious. She knew that she was stronger in the physical sense, but with her lack of training, he had no problem wiping the floor with her—figuratively speaking, of course. She needed to come up with a new plan before she could attack him again. Clearly, newborns were not the answer to her problem, even if they seemed to have worked well for Maria during the Southern Wars.

Esme had been travelling for decades, living mostly as a nomad and doing her best to avoid others of her kind that weren’t alone. She knew from bitter experience what could—and usually did—happen if she was outnumbered, so covens were avoided like the plague. Mated vampires made her sick to her stomach, with their smug expressions and complete indifference to anyone around them, so those were left alone as well.

During her years alone, her thirst for vengeance grew. She wanted to cause Carlisle Cullen the greatest amount of pain possible. She wanted to humiliate him beyond anything he could imagine. She wanted him to go through what she had gone through because of him; she wanted him to be cast aside like yesterday’s trash, to be tortured within an inch of his sanity, beaten and torn apart, and then to be fused together only to be torn apart once again; indeed, the Volturi had taught her a great deal about pain and suffering.

She wanted him to _suffer._

The only problem with these wishes was the fact that she had no idea how to fulfill them. She was enraged when it took her so many years to find him the first time around, and even more so when the tactic she had used—the one that Maria, the stupid bitch, told her was foolproof—failed miserably. Esme escaped by nail and tooth from that encounter, and she had no intention of ever letting history repeat itself.

She would play it smart. After all, she had all the time in the world to deliver a dish that was known to only improve the colder it was served. So Esme gathered her patience and slowly started working up a plan. She would not dare follow him from up close—that would be much too risky, especially with the two new pets he had picked up—but she would have to find a way to find every last bit of information about Carlisle and his little coven.

However, Esme was no better a tracker than she was a fighter, and finding information had proven to be much harder a task than she had anticipated it would be. It was as though each time she came close to his scent, he would slip between her fingers, leaving nothing but another dead end behind him.

Finally, after more than three decades had passed since she had heard anything new about Carlisle, she decided that she needed help.

o.O.o

_Southwest USA, 1998_

_The only redeeming quality of this bloody, sun-filled state is the fact that it has plenty of stupid, gullible humans to feed off of_ , Esme thought as she finished disposing of the remains of her latest meal.

Having paid little to no attention to road signs and border lines, she wasn’t sure where exactly she was currently. Only that it was somewhere in the western part of the southern United States. She was in the process of looking for a suitable candidate to help her with her revenge against Carlisle Cullen, but so far, she had found no one. She needed someone who was smart enough to help yet weak enough to be controllable.

At first, she had tried searching for an older vampire to help her, but she soon found that those were hard to control. More often than not, they lost interest and left before providing her with anything useful. After being fed up with that, she had turned to _creating_ her candidates. Newborns were easier to control; they knew nothing more than what she chose to let them know, and when they had turned out to be useless, too, they were easily disposed of. Thirty newborns down the row, and Esme was still no closer to finding the perfect candidate. She tried to be patient, but she was a woman—or, rather, a vampire—who was not used to having her desires left unfulfilled for long.

Esme had been contemplating going back to Italy and possibly seducing one of her former lovers to help her when, suddenly, her nose detected the smell of smoke on the air. Normally, it would not have drawn her attention, but she also felt something in the back of her mind telling her that there was something familiar about the scent that was mixed in with the smoke.

Deciding that she had nothing to lose, she quickly made her way through the dark streets of whatever city she was in and located the burning house. By the time she had reached it, it was pretty much in ruins, and she was about to call herself a fool for listening to stupid “feelings” when a movement from between the debris caught her eye. She approached closer and saw that there was a male figure trying to crawl away.

She could smell his blood, and it was pretty obvious that he would not survive for much longer.

 _A shame, really,_ she thought. _He looks pretty muscular, and I think that if he were to be cleaned up, he’d be very handsome under all that dirt._

The man’s face was covered in dark patches, his hair matted, and what was left of his clothes was torn, revealing what looked like a very impressive body. An idea crossed her mind and she quickly pulled the man away from the debris. He made very little sound, and she knew that she would have to act quickly.

_I think I just found my perfect candidate._

There was something about this man that told her he would make a fine right hand. Holding a hand over his mouth, she pushed his head to the side and sunk her teeth into his jugular. He tasted better than any other meal she had had before, and Esme found herself struggling to stop before she drained him. She was centuries old, and she had changed countless humans, but this one put even her excellent control to the test.

 _He will be worth it,_ she reminded herself as she pulled away from his neck.

Keeping her hand over his mouth to stifle his screams, she quickly dashed out of the city. She would need a secluded location yet one that would still be close enough for him to be able to feed, and she knew the perfect place: a deserted hunting cabin she had come across several days ago.

o.O.o

Just a little over three days after being bit, the man awoke. His blazing red eyes flew open, and as soon as he caught a flash of movement from someone at the other side of the room, he launched himself in the air and landed with his back to the corner, hissing.

He didn’t recognize the female who stood across the room, but she was an obstacle between him and the way out, so that made her a threat. He growled at her in warning.

“Now, now, that won’t do, pet.” The woman was clearly not impressed with him. “I will not let you run around and get yourself killed like a stray dog.”

He continued to growl. He did _not_ like the comparison to a stray dog, or the implication that someone might overpower him. He felt strong, invincible even. He also felt thirsty. So thirsty, in fact, that he found it hard to concentrate on anything beyond the burning desire to quench his thirst. He sniffed the air, tasting it, and detected traces of something really sweet in the air. He wanted to bathe in the sweet scent, drink it until nothing was left, and then find some more so that he could drink it again.

Esme smirked at the dazed look in the newborn’s eyes. “Yes, that would be the thirst kicking in. Luckily, I have prepared for this.”

“Give it to me!”

“Impatient, are we?” Esme chuckled. “Come. Follow me, and I’ll give you what you desire.”

He watched her for several long moments, trying to contemplate whether or not he should follow her, but the promise of something to soothe the burning ache in his throat was just too alluring. He nodded, swallowing several times in an attempt to ease the ache.

As he came closer to her, she whispered to him, “And if you’ll be a good boy, I might satisfy more than _one_ desire.”

Her words went straight to his cock, and his thirst was nearly forgotten as his mind was assaulted by image after image of what he wished to do with her.

 _That was almost too easy._ Esme smirked, leading the dummy behind her to the basement of the cabin.

The sweet scent was growing stronger, and his mind was no longer coherent. It was filled with a growing need for that sustenance, and the burn in his throat was becoming almost unbearable.

Esme unlocked the basement door and opened it, stepping aside. “Bon appétit.”

She watched as the newborn sprang on the closest human to the door. It was a large male she had picked up in the woods. The screaming started as soon as the rest of the humans—two females and another male—realized what was going on.

Esme smiled and nearly purred at the beautiful sounds of their screams. She didn’t block the door, leaving the escape route open for the humans. The chase was part of the fun in hunting, and she wanted her new pet to get the full experience.

As soon as the first human was drained, the newborn dropped the body and moved on to one of the females. It was at this point that the remaining human male decided to be a fool and try to protect the female. Esme watched in delight as her pet simply changed course and sank his teeth into the male’s neck. The silly female behind him tried to make a run for it, her eyes focused on the open door. As soon as she made a move, the newborn’s eyes focused on her and he growled in warning. She froze, her eyes locking with the demon’s that was killing the second man in less than five minutes. She was terrified, but she tried again. She didn’t take more than two steps before the newborn tackled her down.

Now that his thirst had been partially quenched, another need, just as primal as the thirst, rose. His mouth landed on hers in a brutal kiss. His lower body began grinding itself into the softness of hers, and his hands quickly tore through the fabric that was separating him from what he wanted.

He took her, not even noticing the struggle of the human beneath him. She had used every last bit of strength she possessed to fight him off, but he was so much stronger than she was.. His body slammed into hers with such great force that he broke her bones, and she screamed in pain. The newborn growled in pleasure as he continued to ram into her body, and as he neared his release, he sank his teeth into her neck. His victim was beyond pain, beyond caring, and when the darkness came, she embraced it.

Esme watched as the newborn finished his third meal and glanced at the last living human in the room. The human female was too far in her terror to move from the corner that she had curled herself into. The smell of the human’s fear combined with the sight of her new pet enjoying himself served to arouse both of Esme’s cardinal desires.

Having done enough observing for her taste, she decided that participating would be much more entertaining. She was across the room before the human female could blink, and she had her teeth in the human’s neck in yet another blink of a human eye.

The newborn finished his meal and threw the rapidly cooling body to the corner of the room. His attention was already caught by the sounds coming from the other side of the room where the woman who had led him into the room was finishing her own meal. Once the woman was done with her meal, he barely waited for her to throw the drained body of her victim away before he threw himself at her.

Esme grinned, seeing his eyes now hooded with lust. She welcomed his kiss, his caresses, and his weight on top of hers. She didn’t even mind that he had torn her clothes from her body. It had been much too long since her sex partner was as unbreakable and enthusiastic as this newborn, too long since she’d been able to enjoy herself fully. She quickly rolled him so that he was beneath her and impaled herself on his hard shaft, throwing her head back with a growl of pleasure.

There was no gentleness and no loving caresses. This was cardinal, basic, and borderline brutal as they each fought for dominance over the other. Eventually, Esme’s superior knowledge and better control over her own vampiric instincts gained her dominance, and as the newborn shuddered beneath her for the third time, she grinned victoriously.

o.O.o

After sending the newborn to take a shower, Esme quickly threw the bodies of their prey into a grave she had dug beforehand. She didn’t do it out of care for the victims, for they were nothing but cattle in her mind. It was simply the easiest way to dispose of the smell of decomposing bodies without having to venture too far from her new pet.

Esme did not hesitate to walk into the shower where her pet was still washing himself. Her body craved him again, and she was not one to deny herself something she wanted if she could get it. The newborn was much more pliable this time around. Having known the pleasure she could give him, he was a lot more willing to hand her the reins. He still tried to gain an advantage, but Esme was prepared for it and once again showed him that she was the Master in their relationship.

“Do you remember your name?” Esme asked as they stepped out of the shower.

The newborn was about to reply with an automatic ‘yes’ when he suddenly realized that he could not pull the name from his memories. He frowned, growling in frustration as he tried to search through the fog that seemed to cover every memory from before the burning of the fire in his veins.

“I thought so.” Esme grinned in satisfaction. “Our kind often loses our human memories when we are changed.”

Some part of him knew that by ‘our kind’ she was talking about vampires, but he couldn’t understand how he had known this. Now that both his thirst and his body were temporarily satisfied, it seemed easier to focus on one train of thought, but it didn’t help him remember anything new.

“From the papers I found on your person, I can tell you that your human name was Adrian Tepes,” Esme said, intentionally skipping the middle name she had seen in his papers. “I am Esméralda Annette de Platte, but you will call me Mistress.”

“Like hell I will!” he growled.

Esme quickly wrapped her hand around his now flaccid cock and gave a squeeze that brought a cry of pain to his lips. “Never forget who is your Master, _boy_. I can be your worst nightmare if I wish so, and I can be the most heavenly lover that you could ever imagine, but never forget that it was my choice to make you and it can be my choice to end you. Is that clear?” She gave another painful squeeze to his cock.

“Yes,” he squealed.

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Mistress.” As any male, Adrian was very much attached to his manly parts, and she had him—literally—by the balls.

“Good. Now that we have this covered, I believe that this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	13. Surprise Visit

**Chapter Thirteen – Surprise Visit**

Ella kept her distance from the Cullens for the rest of that week. She might have believed that they could have saved her life, but she wasn’t about to become best friends with them all of a sudden.

She hadn’t gone on any patrols since the night of her attack, but since she knew that her attacker had been disposed of, she didn’t feel too guilty about it. The weeknights were filled with homework and some training down in the basement. She was determined not to let her lack of supervision affect her shape.

As quiet as this town was, on Friday evening, Ella decided that it was time to go back out there and make sure she hadn’t forgotten how to stake her vamps.

 _Not that it’s possible,_ she thought, _but I really need to get out of the house._

A week’s vacation was something she hadn’t even been able to dream about for the past two years, and as much as she had enjoyed it, she knew it was time to get back out there.

“Carly, I’ll be back in about two hours,” Ella called as she was tying her shoelaces.

Carly didn’t turn from her computer screen as she answered, “All right, and I promise to put the bat back in the linen closet by the time you get back.”

Ella’s answering laughter had Carly smiling. She was happy to know that her sister was in a good mood. Ella might not have said anything, but Carly knew how troubled she had been throughout the past week. At first, she thought that it was due to the attack—and honestly, Carly didn’t blame her for it if it was the reason; she’d have been nervous, too—but even after they had learned that the threat had been taken care of, Ella’s new emotional edge hadn’t subsided. Carly was hoping that a little workout would make her feel better.

While Ella was out patrolling, Carly finished up whatever was left of her homework and settled on checking up on the news online. She had been doing this every now and then ever since they had left Phoenix. It wasn’t out of distrust for J. Jenks or Mr. Arbel; she simply wanted to make sure that she had all of her bases covered.

So far, nothing had shown up. After the initial reports, there were a couple of articles following up on past news items, but soon after, the news sites and news chat-rooms quieted down.

Carly was just about to log out when someone typed: _New files are up_. The message was quickly followed by a bot named “@download” pinging everyone with: _download file: Maricopa_local_news_Oct_05-10.zip_.

She quickly downloaded the file and opened it. It was an archive containing the local news from the Maricopa County area for the second week of October. Most of the pages did not interest her, but when a familiar name caught her eye, she quickly opened the article to full screen.

She read the words over and over again, unwilling to believe that what she was reading was true.

_Shallow grave...Body identified...Missing for ten days..._

Having a date to start with, she connected to several other channels and shot a message to the people in the rooms, asking if anyone had more information about that case. She got nothing useful from most, but eventually, after about thirty minutes, she had three more articles and four links to news bulletins. All of them said the same thing in so many words.

_He’s dead._

o.O.o

Ella felt much better after she caught a fledgling snooping around the city limits and killed him. The vampire couldn’t have been more than a few months old, but he had put up a bit of a fight, making her very pleased to be using her skills again. He was dust within ten minutes, though it only took that long because she felt like playing with him a little, drawing out the fight just a little longer.

 _He wasn’t even remotely a challenge,_ she thought, _but I guess beggars can’t be choosers._

She was pleasantly surprised when she realized she had completely forgotten about her broken right arm during the fight, not feeling sore even when she had to use it to deflect a blow.

For good measure, she did another round, making sure that she stopped at the local cemetery, but other than that one kill, it was quiet. Partly pleased but more than a little disappointed, Ella made her way back home.

She saw that the lights were still on in Carly’s room, so she made sure to call out, “Hi Carly, it’s me,” when she walked through the door. She was smiling as she recalled the infamous “bat incident” in her thoughts.

She got no reply from Carly but made nothing of it. It wasn’t uncommon for Carly to be so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn’t hear Ella calling her.

Ella stripped off her clothes and was about to wrap the cast on her arm in plastic when an idea struck her. She knew she had been healing very well, faster than she had on previous injuries, and she wondered if that applied to the broken arm. It had been only five days since the cast had been placed, but everything felt normal.

 _Oh, the hell with it._ She pushed the fingers of her left hand under the cast and tore it away from her right arm, chuckling when the cast gave way more easily than she had expected it to. Testing her right arm, Ella felt no soreness, no pain.

“Cool,” she murmured under her breath.

Happy and pleased with this new turn of events, Ella stepped into the shower and cleared her mind of thoughts, focusing on the sound of the running water.

It wasn’t until about half an hour later, when she was getting out of the shower and pulling on her pajamas, that she heard Carly.

“Carly? What’s wrong?” Ella nearly flew into Carly’s bedroom to find her sister crumpled on her bed, crying as quietly as she could.

Ella was alarmed, but she could smell no blood and sensed no danger, so she understood that whatever had happened to Carly was probably emotional. Without any words, she simply wrapped her sister in a hug and let her cry herself out. Ella had never seen Carly break down before. She was always so strong, surprisingly so, considering the things she had been through since meeting Ella, but the Slayer knew everyone had their limits, and she also knew that when Carly was ready, she would share what had hurt her. In the meantime, comfort was all Ella could offer.

o.O.o

Carly was grateful for Ella’s quiet understanding. She needed a good cry, even though she didn’t quite understand why she needed it. After reading that article—as well as the subsequent ones she found after it—she’d felt as though a part of her had been torn into pieces. She barely knew him. As far as she knew, he was nothing more than an attorney for Ella’s family. But he had helped save her life. She had no doubt that he had worked very hard to protect them even after they’d left Phoenix.

It took a while longer for Carly’s tears to dry, but when she raised her head from Ella’s shoulder, the first thing that came out of her mouth was, “What the fuck did you do to your cast?”

Ella chuckled. It was nice to see that Carly hadn’t lost her spark even with whatever it was that had upset her so much. “I took it off.” She shrugged. “Didn’t need it.”

“You are a nut case, Ella.” Carly shook her head.

“But you love me anyway,” Ella teased.

“I do.”

“Are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?”

“I’ll show you.” Carly got up and sat next to the computer screen. “Read.”

There were two open documents on the screen, placed side by side, and it didn’t take long for Ella to read through them. She gasped in shock as soon as she saw the name. “Oh, God, no!” She held her hand over her mouth, holding back her own tears as she read the rest of the report. “No, it can’t be. They got to him,” she hissed the words. “Those fucking bastards got to him!”

“You don’t know that, Ella.”

“Bullshit. If it’s not the Council, then who?” Ella challenged.

Carly had nothing to say. She didn’t know who could have done it, and, quite frankly, the Council was the most logical culprit.

Ella paced the room, clenching and unclenching her fists. She was muttering something under her breath, but it was too low for Carly to distinguish the individual words. She sat quietly for several moments, knowing that Ella’s coping mechanism was often to turn to anger. She was slightly ashamed to have broken down like she had, but she was grateful that her sister was there to comfort her.

Suddenly, Ella froze in her spot and her head snapped to the window. Carly thought that she even heard a growl escape her mouth.

“We’ve got company coming,” Ella said before bolting out of the room.

Carly followed suit. Sure enough, not a minute after Ella spoke, an unfamiliar car parked across the street from their house.

It was dark outside, and all Carly could see from the figure that exited the car and was making its way to their house was that it was male. The broad shoulders and height were unlikely to be found on a female.

Ella waited with her hand on the doorknob and opened the door almost before the knock was sounded. She froze on the spot when she saw the familiar features beneath the hat he was wearing.

She threw herself at him, gasping, “Oh, my God!”

o.O.o

The man in the expensive suit left the new apartment he had settled into the previous night and made his way by foot to J. Jenks’ office.

Forty minutes later, he had his new documents on his person. Jenks had done a marvelous job with building up his new identity. He was now Daniel Belmont, aged twenty-five, a US citizen who had spent most of his time abroad, consulting major corporations on legal matters. He had just taken a position in the legal department of Rathbone Holdings Ltd., a shell company created by Jenks. However, if anyone dug deeper, they would find a very friendly secretary to take their call.

Daniel was pleased. His new identity would hold under scrutiny, but he knew that he would have to keep a low enough profile so that such scrutiny would never be required.

He had taken care of transferring the necessary funds to his offshore accounts prior to leaving Phoenix, after which he had transferred parts of the money to his Seattle account. It had taken him a few days to settle in, buy whatever was missing in his apartment, and unpack the boxes that had arrived two days after him.

The contents of those boxes were priceless almost, ancient writings that could never be replaced had they been damaged. He took great care in arranging them in the home office that was in his apartment. The books and other artifacts had filled the room to the brim, and what was left was placed in his bedroom and in the bookcase in the living room.

The next task he had was to purchase a car. He and Jenks both agreed that purchasing one prior to his arrival would have been unwise. Daniel took his time in choosing the make and model of the car, contemplating the features that were important to him. He finally decided on a white sports car. He was aware that even with that toned-down color choice, the Mustang Saleen S7 was going to draw attention, but it was fast and it projected the right image of a young, confident, and well-off man. The first was his own prerequisite; the rest was purely for the sake of his cover.

“I am going to visit the girls,” he told Jenks one day on the phone. “I need to see what we are up against.”

“Understood,” Jenks replied and proceeded to give him the address of the house in Forks. “If there is anything that you need, let me know.”

“I will,” Daniel replied.

o.O.o

The drive to Forks was long, but since he had pushed the speed limit whenever he could, he had made the drive in just under three hours. He only slowed down after entering the city limits.

Parking across the driveway, he made no effort to conceal his arrival. She would have heard him anyway, and he wasn’t hiding. Raising his hand to knock on the door was merely a matter of manners, but the door flew open before he was able to knock more than once anyway.

Ella gasped at the sight of him, and then she did something he was definitely unprepared for; she threw herself at him, gasping.  “Oh, my God!”

After pulling away, she stepped back to let him into the house and closed the door behind him.

Carly was staring at him in shock.

“I’m not a ghost,” he said when neither girl would say another word, yet they both kept staring at him.

Carly stepped forward and did something that took him completely by surprise: she slapped him with all her might. His head flew back from the strength of it.

“What the hell?” He held a hand across his cheek.

“Would you like to explain how the hell you are alive?” Carly demanded. Her palm was stinging, but she did not regret slapping him.

Understanding lit his eyes at that moment. “Jenks didn’t contact you?”

“No,” Ella replied.

He sighed. “I apologize,” he said to both girls. “I was certain that he would have updated you, but I guess he was not willing to take the risk of talking about something like this over the phone.”

Seeing that this would be a long conversation, Ella gestured toward the living room.

Carly sat on the armchair, Ella remained standing, and Daniel sat on the couch.

“After you boarded the plane, I had to make sure we all disappeared,” he began. “I staged the fire and Carly’s disappearance because I knew that your Watcher would have told the Council that you had a close friend. I knew that they would want Carly dead just on the slight chance that you had told her something of your suspicions.”

Ella nearly growled at his words, anger seeping into her at the thought of someone going after her sister.

“It was also apparent that they knew about me, so I had to make sure that I disappeared as well.”

“I’m guessing it was one of the assassins that they found in the desert,” Carly said.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “I got in contact with Jenks soon after, and we both devised a plan to make sure that Dean Arbel was dead to the world.”

“I’m guessing you got a new name, too?” Ella raised a brow in question.

“Yes. Daniel Belmont.”

Ella snorted. “Welcome to the family, Daniel.”

“I don’t have to call you brother, do I?” Carly suddenly asked with a horrified expression on her face.

Daniel blinked a few times, and a moment later, everyone burst into laughter.

Laughter was the best icebreaker, and as soon as everyone calmed down, Ella and Carly were able to fill Daniel in on all of the details of what had happened since they’d parted ways.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel was just as worried as Carly was about the new breed of demons that seemed to favor Forks as their place of residence.

“I think I might have some information for you in the books I brought with me,” Daniel said after reading Richter Belmont’s letter. “I know that the story of the Cold Ones is definitely mentioned there.”

“I’ll go with you to bring the books in,” Ella said, standing up.

“Er, sure.” Daniel glanced a look at Carly and then at Ella. “That would save me some time going back and forth.”

Carly watched them as they walked out the front door and to Daniel’s car. She felt that there might be something she was missing, but when neither delayed in bringing in the books, she pushed the thought away.

They divided the piles of books between them and settled for what was definitely going to be a long night of research.

At around ten, they ordered pizza, neither one of them interested in wasting time cooking dinner. The pizza was delivered and they sat down to eat, pushing away the books to make room for the food.

“I’ll be right with you,” Daniel said, not lifting his eyes from the page he was reading.

“You’d better hurry,” Carly said. “Ella might finish the pizza before you get a chance to taste it.”

Ella gasped and glared at Carly, who was smiling innocently. “Are you calling me fat?”

Carly giggled. “If the shoe fits...”

Ella picked a pepperoni from her slice and threw it at Carly. “You should know all about shoes, you shoe-addict!”

“Shoe-addict? Really?” Carly burst into a fit of giggles, nearly falling off the couch.

Ella chuckled at her sister. “Don’t think I don’t know about all those pairs of shoes you have in your closet, Imelda.”

“I’m not that bad!” Carly tried to appear angry, but the whole situation was too funny and she was unable to maintain her glare for long.

Daniel looked up from the book he was holding and looked at the laughing girls. A passing thought crossed his mind, but he had to shake it away. _Don’t even go there. She’s a teenager._ “I think I found something,” he announced.

Ella and Carly instantly turned serious. “We’re listening,” Carly said.

“I found a translation of the Legend of the Cold Ones. I would be more certain once I find the source text, but from what this says...you were right, Ella, the Cold Ones are vampires.”

“I’m hearing a ‘but’ in there.” Ella frowned.

“Nah, it’s just yours making its presence known,” Carly mumbled under her breath. When Ella turned to glare at her, she just smiled innocently.

 _Yes, definitely teenager,_ Daniel thought. Deciding that ignoring it was probably the best way to handle this, he said, “You’re right, Ella. The vampires that this legend speaks of fit in better with what you told me about the demon who attacked you than the vampires we know,”

“A second kind of vampires?” Ella asked. “He was much stronger than me, and the Cullens were able to defeat him. This isn’t good.”

“I agree,” Daniel said. “I don’t like it any more than you do.”

“So are we saying that the Cullens are vampires?” Carly asked. “But they go to school with us, during the day.”

“From what I have read, these vampires are not vulnerable to the same things that the vampires we are used to are vulnerable to,” he said. “They might be immune to sunlight.”

“Well, fuck me sideways, this sucks!” Carly muttered.

Daniel nearly choked, and Ella chuckled at his reaction. He was clearly not used to someone as direct as Carly. _Or maybe it’s females in general?_ “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She patted Daniel on his shoulder. “What does this legend says about these vampires?”

Shaking himself from his momentary stupor, Daniel replied, “The legend says that these vampires are very cold to the touch—hence the name. They are said to be invulnerable to sunlight or to metal weapons.” Before Ella could remind him that the vampires they knew were also immune to metal weapons, he added, “The legend says that when attacked with metal, the weapon shattered without penetrating their skin. As for the sun, it is said that under direct sunlight their skin turns into a pale blue-grey color.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Carly commented. _Why couldn’t they sparkle or turn into skeletons? That would make spotting them pretty easy._

“They are immensely faster and stronger than anything the people who wrote the legend had seen,” Daniel continued, ignoring her comment. “Lastly, the legend says that they prey on humans, drinking their blood, thus turning their eyes red.”

“Red eyes, yeah, that sounds familiar,” Ella agreed. “And he was definitely strong. Does this legend say how you kill them?”

“Dismemberment and burning of the pieces,” Daniel replied. “I believe that the Cullens told you the same?”

Ella nodded. “How did they dismember them?”

“There is a mention of protectors here. I am not sure what exactly they are, but they were able to tear the Cold One they were fighting with by using their teeth and claws.”

“Well, since I possess no claws and my teeth are definitely not sharp enough, we need to find a way to kill them,” Ella said. “I guess it’s time to show you what Richter left me.”

Daniel’s eyes sparkled with delight. “The weapon?”

Carly hid a smile at his excitement.

“Yup.” Ella grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

o.O.o

Daniel spent the next two hours huddled over the weapon, leaving Carly and Ella to read up on the Cold ones.

“Okay, this makes as much sense as one of Carly’s IRC chat-rooms.” Ella snapped the book she was holding shut and stood up.

“Hey!” Carly objected.

“I’m going to make us some hot chocolate. I need a break.” Ella walked out of the living room with a huff.

“Is she okay?” Daniel asked Carly quietly. The sounds of cupboards being opened and shut and mugs being moved drowned his voice enough so that Ella wouldn’t hear.

“It’s been a long day.” Carly shrugged. “My book is making about as much sense as Ella’s did for her, so I give up on it. Got anything interesting?”

“Not much, I’m afraid.” Daniel moved to sit next to Carly and showed her a page in the book he was holding. “This is the best reference I could find.”

“That looks pretty close,” Carly agreed after taking a look at the drawing on the page. “What does it say?” The book was clearly not in English; the page numbers were going from right to left and the writing looked nothing like English letters.

“Well, it started out as a less powerful magic weapon. It was created by one named Rinaldo Gandolfi, using alchemy. It was transformed into a much more powerful weapon after the death of a woman by the name of Sarah. She is mentioned to be the beloved of one of the Belmonts, but it doesn’t say who,” Daniel explained.

“Beloved?” Carly asked.

Daniel nodded. “It’s an old term for a spouse.”

“Does it say why it took her death for the weapon to be transformed?”

Daniel lowered his gaze. “No, it doesn’t say.”

“But it says something else, doesn’t it?” Carly insisted.

“Can’t hide anything from you, can I?” Daniel sighed. “In later texts it says that in the past the weapon was said to be so powerful that Dracula himself was destroyed using it, thus giving the weapon the name Vampire Killer. The weapon was so powerful after Sarah’s death that it was said even the Grim Reaper, Death itself, was afraid of it.”

“Why?” Carly asked.

“The weapon is said to be powerful enough to cause damage not only to vampires but to any kind of demon.”

Carly cocked a brow and looked at him expectantly.

“From what I was able to translate from this text, the weapon is in a dormant state now. It will take another sacrifice for its powers to awaken.”

“Sacrifice?” Carly paled. “What kind of sacrifice?”

“The blood of a Belmont, I imagine,” Ella answered, walking in the room.

“No!” Carly was angry. “You won’t sacrifice yourself, Elleanora!”

“Well, now that you’ve used my full name, I’m definitely scared.” Ella smiled. “You can stop worrying. First, I’m not the only Belmont in the room.” She smirked in mischief. “Second, I have no intention of sacrificing myself to awaken some ancient weapon. That’s just not my style.”

Carly rolled her eyes, mumbling, “Not my style, my ass,” under her breath.

“We’ve had my butt in this conversation. Now it’s your ass.” Ella smiled innocently. “Are we going to get into Daniel’s rear end next? ‘Cause I don’t think he’d like that very much.” She turned to wink at Daniel.

He was fairly confident that Ella was only joking with her comment and that she wasn’t actually suggesting using _him_ as sacrifice—or _getting_ _into his_ _rear end,_ as she had so eloquently put it—but decided that he simply did not want to go there. There was a change in Ella’s demeanor, one that he’d felt since the moment he knocked on her door. She had a new darkness about her, a sense of power that hadn’t been present when he last saw her, and he wondered if she was aware of it.

“I thought you were going to make hot chocolate,” Carly said, gesturing at Ella’s empty hands.

“I did. It’s in the kitchen. I thought that mixing drinks and really old books isn’t the best idea,” Ella explained. “Daniel, would you like some?”

“No, thank you.” Daniel decided not to comment on the fact that she didn’t seem to have a problem with eating around those very same books. The vibes Ella was emanating were sending small chills down his spine.

He watched the girls leave for the kitchen and listened closely to hear their conversation. It was done in tones that were much too hushed for him to hear, and he eventually gave up on listening in.

He continued reading for the next hour or so while the girls chatted. At some point, after he was done with one of the books, his eyes fell on the Vampire Killer that was laid on the table unceremoniously. He could feel the latent power in it, and just like Ella, he sensed that it was dormant. Even if only half of what he had read was true, this weapon, when activated, was the most powerful weapon in the recorded history of demon slaying.

His worries did not leave him, though. Daniel could not shake the feeling that the Vampire Killer had already had some kind of effect on the Slayer, an effect that he wasn’t sure was positive.

o.O.o

“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Carly asked as they sat down at the kitchen table.

“What do you mean?” Ella asked, surprised.

“Really? You’re gonna play innocent with me?” Carly folded her arms across her chest. “Why were you being so mean to him?”

“I wasn’t mean. It was a joke, Carly.” Ella frowned. “I’m pretty sure that he understood that it was one.”

“Whatever.” Carly was not convinced, but she decided that there was no point in pushing it.

Ella waited a few moments until she heard the rustling of pages signaling that Daniel was back to researching before she spoke again. “There’s something I need to tell you. I want to research it with Daniel, but I wanted to talk to you about it first.”

“What is it?” Carly was instantly on alert. Whatever this was, it was serious.

“There are some...I guess you can call them _changes_ , that have happened ever since we moved here. At first they were really subtle, but they are becoming more and more prominent.”

“What kind of changes?”

“I heal faster. Like, much faster. I also think I’m a little stronger than I used to be. I know for a fact that I can hear better than before. I can see better at night. But the thing that worries me is that my Slayer senses seem to be a little off.”

“What do you mean _off_?” Carly was getting worried.

“Remember how I reacted when I first saw Alice and Jasper?”

Carly nodded.

“Well, I had a very different reaction to Dr. Cullen.” Ella felt the blush creeping up her neck and tried to ignore it. “I thought at first that it was because I was a little out of it, but when we met with Alice and Jasper in the parking lot, I didn’t react so badly to them.”

“Maybe you’re just getting used to them?”

“That’s the thing, I never got used to vampires.” Ella sighed. “I’ve had vampires stalk me on a daily basis before, but never have my Slayer senses stopped telling me that they are dangerous.”

Carly looked shocked. “Is it telling you that Jasper and Alice aren’t dangerous?”

“Not exactly,” Ella admitted. “It’s more like it’s saying that they aren’t that big of a threat.”

“That’s definitely not good,” Carly agreed. “And although having your senses improve is a good thing, I still don’t like not knowing what is causing this.”

“I agree. That’s why I want to talk to Daniel about it and see if we can find a precedent for something like this. I just wanted to make sure I ran it by you first.”

“Thanks. Now, let’s finish our drinks and go back for another research session.”

“I can’t wait for the fun to begin,” Ella murmured under her breath.

o.O.o

Carlisle had just gotten back from a long shift at the hospital when he heard that his two companions were somewhat “preoccupied” and decided that it would be best to keep away from the house for a little while. He headed for the woods, using this opportunity to hunt and think.

He wasn’t surprised to find that his thoughts were almost completely taken up by a certain blue-eyed girl.

Carlisle sighed when the urge to check up on her rose within him. It was hopeless to resist, he knew, but he still tried. It was wrong of him to do this, to watch her like a voyeur from the tree lines. She had yet to catch him, but he knew that if he continued doing so, she would.

He lasted no longer than an hour before his legs carried him to her house. The need to be near her, to assure himself of her safety, was just too strong. A nagging thought in the back of his mind told him that there was more to this feeling, that there was something he was overlooking in the situation. Worse, he felt that it was something very obvious that both Alice and Jasper had already figured out, if he were to go by their knowing glances.

She wasn’t at home when he arrived.

Something inside him was very frustrated with that fact. He thought about leaving and returning a little later, but he felt as though his feet were cemented in the forest ground beneath him. His body refused to move.

As minute after minute passed and there was still no sign of her, he felt worry rise within him.

_Where is she? What is she doing outside her home so late at night? Did she go out with someone?_

The mere thought of Elleanora seeing someone else made him growl. He cut off the sound as soon as he noticed it. He was civilized, not an animal, and he refused to let his instincts take over.

 _I have worked too hard and too long to let my inner animal reign over me_.

He battled his instinct to go searching for her for another ten minutes. He was just about to say the hell with everything and go search for the person she was with, a person he was going to make sure never touched his Elleanora ever again.

_My Elleanora..._

He loved the sound of that, and for the time being, he ignored the rational side of him that was telling him that she was not his, that he had no right to stake claim.

Snapped out of his dreamlike state by the sound of an approach to the driveway, his eyes followed as she appeared, jogging up the path before entering her house. She was sweating, but he still thought that he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

_Are you really going down that road again, Carlisle?_

His perfect recall was his curse at that moment. He wished he could forget his last days in Volterra, but the memories flooded his mind regardless of his unwillingness.

_You thought that Esme was beautiful, too. You thought that the sun set and rose with her. You worshipped the goddamn ground she walked upon, and look where that got you?_

His inner voice was bitter, but Carlisle knew it was not without reason.

_She’s not Esme. She is not Esme. She is NOT Esme._

He kept chanting that in his mind, trying to drown out the rest of his thoughts. Another part of his mind catalogued her movements around the house. As soon as he heard the water running, his thoughts turned to her body. He knew that it was toned and in shape; he could see it in the tight fitting clothes she had worn earlier. He also had the memories from the ER when he had had to strip her to check for injuries. At the time, his mindset was purely professional, but now, with the sound of the water running, the images took on an erotic aura.

He wanted to run his hands down that body, and he wanted to do so without his gloves. The desire to feel her skin, touch her breasts, taste those pink lips he remembered was almost overwhelming. The stir of his cock was only natural, but he refused to touch himself. He would not cross that line. It was the final straw that would turn what he tried to think of as looking after her into stalking her, pure and simple.

Thankfully, her shower was short. He was contemplating leaving the premises and taking care of the need that was making his pants fit him tighter than normal when she finally turned off the water. His relief turned into worry when he suddenly heard her running and then the sound of someone crying.

_Is she hurt? Did something happen?_

He wanted to run to her, hold her in his arms, and protect her from anything that might cause her harm or anguish. His fingers dug into the tree next to him and the material crumbled beneath his hold.

_You can’t break into her house._

The only thing that was stopping him from running to her was the understanding that she was more likely to call the police and have him charged with breaking and entering than she was to welcome his embrace. The thought brought back his somber mood again.

_What are you doing, Carlisle? Are you honestly going down that road again? Hadn’t you learned your lesson with that bitch Esme?_

Carlisle hung his head at the scolding. He should know better than to pine after a woman again. She might not be as old as Esme was, but he knew nothing of her past. Elleanora could be Esme’s replica. The possibility was there, but he refused to accept that as anything more than a slim chance. Everything inside him wanted to believe that Elleanora was different.

He calmed down when he could hear no more crying but tensed again when an unfamiliar car drove to her house. The driver parked across the street, exited the car, and walked to her front door.

Carlisle wanted to come closer, to know who the hell was coming to see his Elleanora at this time of night, but what happened next made him freeze in his tracks, for at that moment, Elleanora threw herself at the strange man, hugging him, his hands holding her as if he had a right to do so, and Carlisle’s world fell apart.

If he thought that Esme’s betrayal had been painful, this was ten times worse. His chest erupted in pain, and a fraction of a second later, he was running. He couldn’t stand looking at her anymore. He couldn’t stand being anywhere near her because he knew at that moment that he had only two options: he either went there, killed the male, the traitorous bitch, and anyone who might be foolish enough to stand in his way or he ran as far as his legs could carry him and avoided the massacre he knew he would later regret.

The pain in his body was nothing like any he had ever felt before. The events in Italy paled in comparison to the agony that coursed through his body now. He fought to keep on running away from her. He fought with every last bit of strength he had not to go back there. He knew that if he let go of even the smallest possible amount of control, he would be back there in her house, tearing that man apart.

A growl was building in his chest as the rage took over, and one word kept echoing inside his mind repeatedly. He wasn’t even aware that the growls grew louder and that the word was spilling from his mouth.

“Mine! Mine! MINE!”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	14. Mate

**Chapter Fourteen – Mate**

Carlisle had not returned home throughout that weekend; instead, he used the time he spent away from the house to calm down before going straight to his shift at the hospital. He might have been slow to realize it, might have ignored the signs, but after the emotional overload—which was followed by the leveling of several acres of national forest—he could no longer remain ignorant to the obvious.

Elleanora was his mate, and he hated that fact.

He didn’t want to feel the pain of her betrayal. He didn’t want to play the fool once again. He had done so before and he had had more than enough of lying, unfaithful females in his existence.

He threw himself into his work on the Sunday nightshift, trying to drown out his painful thoughts. When he finally returned home on Monday, he refused to talk to either Jasper or Alice. He knew that they had probably realized the truth long ago, but he was in no rush to tell them just how screwed up his life was.

 _Figures,_ he thought, _that my mate would double cross me. Hadn’t I learned my lesson with Esme?_

There was a small voice in the very corner of his mind that tried to tell him to stop jumping to conclusions, but he just wouldn’t listen to it.

Finally, after a whole week of avoidance, Alice and Jasper cornered him in his study on a Friday evening.

“I don’t know what you did,” Alice started, “but you managed to make a complete mess out of your own future.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Carlisle said through clenched teeth.

“Carlisle, we’re on your side. Tell us what happened.” Jasper did not want to resort to influencing his emotions, but the past week had been downright depressing. The negativity that had been emanating from Carlisle throughout the past week was almost overwhelming.

Carlisle sighed and leaned back on his desk. “I know that you probably figured out what Elleanora is to me.”

“We did,” Alice confirmed.

“And I know that you’re aware of the fact that I’ve been keeping tabs on her.”

 _More like stalking her_ , Jasper thought but made no comment.

Carlisle went on to explain how he had seen a strange man arrive at Ella’s doorstep, and her hugging him, which had led to Carlisle’s outburst and subsequent reclusion. At the end of the story, Carlisle felt defeated. He was no longer angry, just empty.

Alice felt like crying. She had no encouraging words to offer him. She could see nothing of Ella’s future, and at that moment, Carlisle’s future was in such turmoil that she couldn’t see much past the next day.

“Carlisle, I know this is hard for you to hear, but you can’t compare Ella to Esme. They are not the same, and, as much as my instincts might disagree, I don’t think that Ella is a bad person.” Jasper held Alice in his arms and projected a small amount of calm to both his mate and Carlisle. “I don’t think you should just give up.”

“I need to process everything,” Carlisle said quietly. “I’m grateful for your concern, but I think I just need time to work through everything on my own.”

“I respect that,” Jasper said. “We will give you time, Carlisle, but we won’t let you sulk forever.”

“Fair enough.”

It was clear that the conversation was over, so Alice and Jasper walked out of the study, leaving Carlisle to his thoughts.

o.O.o

The morning after cornering Carlisle and getting the whole story from him, Alice decided that she would try approaching Ella herself. In the past week the girl had seemed to withdraw further from everyone around her, even more than usual. The behavior was not unlike Carlisle’s, and Alice was certain that Ella could feel at least some of the pull toward him.

“I can hardly get a read on her,” Jasper said when she had asked him if he had any insight to offer. “It’s worse than last time. All I’m picking up is melancholy, but it isn’t any more powerful than what half of the student body feels on a Monday morning. I’m sorry, Alinka. I guess I’m not much help.”

Alice leaned into him, wrapping her arm around his waist. “I know, Jasper. I think I will try talking to her. Maybe I’ll be able to find out more about how she feels.” She doubted that Ella would talk to her but decided that it was worth the risk.

Alice approached Ella’s table during their Chemistry lab, while the other students were busy with the assignment given by the teacher.

“Ella?” she asked. “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment.”

Ella did not raise her gaze from her paper. She was well aware of Alice’s approach, but she had no intention of talking to the demon. New breed of vampire aside, Ella knew Alice wasn’t human, and she had no intention of willingly interacting with her. “Unless the end of the world is coming and you’re here to tell me you have the magic spell to stop it, I don’t want to hear it.”

Alice was stunned. The hostility Ella was showing her was staggering, and it had caught her off guard. Her hesitation lasted only mere seconds, but it was enough for Ella’s head to snap up.

“Leave. Now.” The tone was almost murderous.

Alice was gone in an instant. She would never admit it aloud, but the glare Ella had turned her way had frightened her to the very core.

Jasper was waiting for Alice when she got out of class, and he had to hold back his growl as he was flooded with her anxiety.

They skipped the rest of their classes for that day. Jasper was overwhelmed with the need to protect and comfort his mate, and Alice knew that if they were to stay, Jasper wouldn’t let Ella get away with frightening her. Alice might not have been able to see what the outcome would be, but she had no desire to find out.

o.O.o

After that first weekend when Daniel appeared on their doorstep, Ella, Carly, and he had settled into a comfortable routine. They would spend almost every other weekend together. Most of those weekends were meant for research—they still hadn’t found a way to activate the Vampire Killer or figured out what the Cullens were exactly—but on some weekends they simply enjoyed each other’s company. All three of them needed the outlet. Daniel tried to insist that he would rather have a root canal instead of going clubbing, but Ella and Carly were still able to drag him to a club in Port Angeles. He hated every single moment. Both girls had a few good laughs at his expense that night, but they didn’t try to repeat the event.

When Christmas came, they spent it in Daniel’s apartment, with Ella and Carly driving to Seattle and staying over to sleep in the living room. They ringed in New Year’s in the girls’ house in Forks.

There were no further interferences from Alice and Jasper at school—it was as though there was an unwritten agreement that they did not cross paths—and Ella was able to avoid any and all visits to the ER.

On the day after New Year’s, Daniel made an important discovery.

“I found it in one of the books Jenks was able to find for me. It’s a translation of a diary written by a German priest from the twelfth century. He mentions the Vampire Killer by name,” Daniel explained as they sat in the living room. Turning back to the book, he read aloud. “ _Forged in ancient times before years were counted, blessed twice and drenched in holy water, it is many in one, but one is not whole until the sacrifice is made._ _When the union of healer and killer is complete, the Heart of the Vampire will bleed. In the Land of the People, search the holy grounds under the nameless tomb in Laurishaim. May God be with you._ ”

“I don’t see what’s so exciting here.” Ella frowned. “It sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me.”

Daniel sighed and Carly stifled a giggled. It wasn’t uncommon for Ella to get annoyed with obscure texts and cryptic prophecies. She had done so many times during the months Carly had known her, but it was clear that Daniel wasn’t quite sure how to handle her.

“Well, I know that the Land of the People probably refers to Germany,” Carly said. She decided that the best way to help Daniel was to show him that ignoring Ella’s rants was okay from time to time. “The rest of it is Chinese to me.”

“You are correct.” Daniel nodded. “Germany is called _Deutschland_ by its people, literally meaning _the land of the Germans_. The word _deutsch_ is derived from _diutisc_ , which means “popular” or “belonging to the people” in Old High German.”

Ella almost felt dizzy with all the details and had to fight the urge to kick Daniel for the long string of crap he had just spewed. _What’s wrong with plain English?_

“I didn’t know you spoke German.” Carly eyed Daniel in surprise. Then, feeling cheeky, she added, “That’s kind of sexy.”

Daniel blinked a few times, not sure how he had gotten so off balance by two teenage girls.

This time it was Ella’s turn to giggle. “Go easy on him, Carly.” She winked at her sister. “So, long story short, we’re looking for something in Germany?”

“Yes,” Daniel confirmed. “The Vampire Killer that we have in our hands is incomplete. This diary says that it was separated during the persecution of the Watchers’ Council of the Belmont bloodline. One part remained with the Belmonts, to be handed down from generation to generation, and the other was hidden by the monks. This priest makes a reference to some kind of order, but I can’t really make out much of it from this text. What I _can_ say is that he’s saying that he is the last of the order and that he cannot trust another to keep the secret.”

“Pretty big secret,” Carly murmured, and Ella nodded in agreement. “Any chance that Father what’s-his-name wrote where he hid his part?”

“I’m guessing in the Land of the People, in the holy grounds, under the nameless tomb in Laurishaim,” Daniel quoted and smiled at Carly.

She rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, ‘cause leaving a map with a big fucking X marks the spot would have taken the fun out of guessing,” Ella grumbled.

Daniel held back a smile. “If it was easy, it would have already been found,” he reminded her. Ignoring her huff, he continued. “If we combine the clues we are given—the reference to holy grounds and the instruction to look for a tomb—we probably should search for some kind of a religious building.”

“I hate it when you get all reasonable on me.” Ella sighed.

Daniel laughed. “Yes, I can see why you’d hate that,” he teased.

“Hey!”

Carly burst into giggles. “So, are we catching the next flight to Germany?”

“Well, before you go pack your suitcases, there are a few more things that need taking care of,” Daniel replied, still smiling. “We will need to narrow down the search. Carly, see if you can cross reference churches, cathedrals, and monasteries in Germany with the name Laurishaim. This should help reduce our search area.”

“On it.” Carly got up and went to get her laptop. It was a Christmas present from Ella, and she couldn’t wait to use it.

“Good.” Daniel picked up his own laptop. “I will try to find something that might give us a clue as to what this priest means by the _union of healer and killer_. Once you have a general location, Carly, I’ll call Jenks to make the arrangements in terms of documents.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Ella jumped to her feet. “And while you two are busy with the research, I have time for a short patrol.” She flashed to her room to change before anyone could object and have her buried under a pile of books for the next few hours.

“I hate it when she does that,” Carly grumbled.

“I heard that!” Ella shouted from her room.

Carly huffed. “And what’cha gonna do about it?”

“I’ll start working on your computer,” Ella threatened.

“You’re not scaring me!”

“Liar!” Ella came back down the stairs, wearing her black sweatpants and hoodie. “My ears are still burning from the lecture you gave me the last time I touched your computer.”

“Ha! I have a laptop now. You’re not scaring me,” Carly reiterated, not bothering to look up from her screen.

Ella turned to look at Carly and asked with a devilish smirk on her lips, “Is that a challenge, Miss Belmont?”

“Girls?” Daniel interrupted, looking to avoid the two getting in a fight. He was quite partial to Carly staying in one piece. “I think you said something about patrol, Ella?”

“Yes, I did, and I’m going.” Ella glared at Carly, who just rolled her eyes.

“Go save the world, Ella.”

“On it.” Ella went to the front door, but she stopped before leaving. “Daniel?” She turned to look at him.

He looked up at her, a questioning expression on his face. Carly already had her full attention dedicated to the information she was looking up, and he understood from Ella’s quiet question that she didn’t want Carly to hear her.

“Keep her safe,” she said quietly.

Daniel nodded. He knew that the girls had performed a protection spell around the house, but spells were not foolproof. He was glad to see that Ella hadn’t changed so much that she’d stopped caring for Carly. He was somewhat surprised at how touched he was by her request, but he knew that he would not disappoint her.

He might not have been a warrior like Ella, but he could hold his own, and there were plenty of weapons to be used around the house in case he needed to.

He watched as Ella walked out of the house before returning to his laptop. He tried not to let his thoughts wander, but he couldn’t help worrying about Ella. In the past few weeks, both of them had sensed an evil presence lurking too close for comfort around the house. They were unsuccessful in hunting down the stalker so far, so Daniel knew he would need to stay alert.

 _Another protection spell would probably be a good idea as well._ He made a mental note to search for one when he returned to his apartment. He had a lot of confidence in the Slayer, but one could never be too careful.

o.O.o

Ella felt the eyes following her almost the moment she stepped out of her house. Her Slayer senses were telling her that this was the same evil presence that had been stalking her for the past few weeks. Despite several patrols, she still hadn’t been able to find who was stalking her. However, she had grown familiar with the scent the stalker left behind, and she was determined to find him or her and end this, once and for all.

Going deeper into the forest, Ella followed the fresh scent trail the stalker left behind. It crossed the water several times, but Ella found it was easy enough to pick the trail back up. Whoever was running from her was not trying too hard to hide.

The sensation of danger was growing stronger. Just as the stalker was about to pounce on her, she jumped to the side. She successfully avoided the attack and turned to look at the vampire.

“Attacking from behind is the coward’s way,” Ella commented, dodging a fist thrown at her. “But then again, so is stalking.” She deflected a punch and replied with one of her own.

“Shut up, you filth, and fight!” the red-eyed female growled, annoyed at the human’s casual evasion of her blows.

“Calling names now, are we?” Ella kicked her, sending her flying back, and smiled at the sound of crashing trees when the vampire hit them. “I guess you’re not only a coward but a shitty fighter, too.”

The vampire roared in anger and flashed forward to attack Ella again. She was able to kick her in the ribs, but Ella recovered much quicker than the vampire had expected and replied with a set of blows that had her backpedaling.

“Now, is there a reason you’ve been following me like a lost puppy?” Ella asked. She elbowed the vampire in the gut and finished with a fist to her nose. “Or do you just like me _that_ way?”

“You filth!”

“Yes, you’ve said that before.”  
  
Ella jumped back to avoid a kick. She grabbed the vampire’s leg before she could retreat and turned it downward, sending the creature sailing face-down to the ground—but her quick reflexes enabled the vampire to catch herself before her face could hit the dirt. She twisted and rose back on her feet. Taking a few steps back, she glared at the Slayer. “You killed him!”

“I’ve killed lots of demons,” Ella replied. “You’d have to be more specific.”

“You and your yellow-eyed friends killed him. You killed my mate! Prepare to die!”

“Yeah, yeah...Your name is Inigo Montoya and I killed your sugar-daddy, deal with it!” Ella smirked when she saw the vampire in front of her nearly fume in rage. “You know what, dying is just not on my to-do list today, so how about I just kick your ass instead?”

The red-eyed vampire roared with rage and charged.

Ella’s smile didn’t fall in the face of this attack. She could see the vampire coming from almost a mile away, and it was almost too easy to avoid the attack and respond with a counter move. The vampire crashed into another group of trees.

She played around with the vampire for a little while longer, but at some point she decided that there were enough trees hurt in the process, and she was honestly growing slightly bored with the whole thing. Not only was the vampire fighting Ella a poor fighter, but her emotions, which were running higher with each hit Ella dodged, were hindering her further.

“You know, it’s been fun and all...” Ella grabbed the vampire’s arm and planted her foot on her back, “…but I think it’s time to say goodnight.” Thrusting her foot against the vampire’s back, she grabbed her arm and tugged, ripping the appendage from the torso. The other limb quickly followed suit.

The nomad howled in pain. She couldn’t believe that this puny human was so strong, so quick. A moment later, she saw the human take out a lighter and set fire to her detached limbs. The pain of the burning limbs could be felt in her body regardless of the separation, and she was powerless to stop it. However, even as she cried in pain, there was a certain peace inside her. She might not have been able to avenge the death of her mate, but at least she would not be separated from him for much longer.

Ella watched as the last pieces of what used to be a red-eyed demon burned down to a crisp. She was slightly confused at the almost peaceful expression that was smeared on the face of the vampire as she burned. For someone who had been fighting so hard to kill her, the vampire had seemed almost happy that her existence was coming to an end.

Ella wondered at the significance of the mate the vampire had mentioned. From what she knew about the vampires in Phoenix, only the leader of the coven—the Master Vampire—took a mate. It was a very rare thing to happen, as most were content with keeping a harem of females around them. The females in the harem were higher up the rank in the coven’s hierarchy, but they were disposable. The bond between the Master Vampire and his mate was strong, but she had never seen a female go ballistic over the death of the male, like this red-eyed had done. As far as Ella knew, that sort of response was more characteristic of the males.

As she watched the fire eat at the remains, Ella recalled the vampire whose mate she had staked in Phoenix. It had been only a short time since she had been called, and she had been fairly green. She had killed a female vampire who was much stronger than she had expected her to be. When she had told this to Steward, he explained that a female mated to a Master Vampire was stronger than any other vampire in the coven of said Master, excluding the leader himself.

A week after that, she had the misfortune to come across the Master Vampire, and she had been appalled at his appearance. He had lost all trace of sanity, not that vampires had much to begin with, but this had been something else. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain when he had attacked Ella. Set on revenge, he had charged at her, and it had been a combination of her training and good luck that had allowed her to gain the advantage over him.

Stewart had gone into full research mode when she had told him of this. The information he had uncovered revealed that when one part of a mated pair is killed, the other goes mad with the desire to avenge their mate’s death. Only the death of the culprit would bring some kind of calm to the demon, and it would take years longer for the demon to gain his sanity again. The loss of a mate would not be fatal—as it was possible for them to find another—but if not avenged, the vampire would eventually be staked by a rival taking over the coven. A weak leader did not last long in the vampire world.

As the flames began to die, Ella wondered if this new breed of vampires had a stronger connection to its partners and if the revenge concept, and subsequent healing, was true regarding this breed as it was true about the breed she already knew about.

Pulling herself away from her thoughts, she took a look around her. There were many splintered trees in the two-mile radius where she had fought the vampire, and Ella decided that, clearly, a wooden stake would make no impression on this breed.

As she made her way back home, pleased with eliminating the threat that had recently arisen, she wondered about the Cullens. How closely related were they to the red-eyed vampires? Did they start out human like the vampires she knew from Phoenix? And if so, did they lose their souls in the process?

An image of Dr. Cullen filtered into her thoughts. His eyes were much too kind to belong to a demon, and for crying out loud, the man—whatever he was—was a doctor! Ella monitored the obituary section closely, but she found no spike in the death toll since the Cullens had moved to Forks before the start of the school year. All of the information she possessed, even her own Slayer sense, was telling her that they were not evil. There was something about him, about his family, that was innately different from the nomads she had met, and she knew that she wanted to find out exactly what it was.

o.O.o

Ella walked into the darkened house as quietly as she could. She had been away for longer than she had expected, and she knew that there was a good chance that Daniel and Carly were sleeping already. Walking past the living room, she noticed two heartbeats present there and decided to peek in. The image that was revealed to her filled her with mixed emotions; Carly and Daniel had fallen asleep on the couch. Daniel was splayed on the couch, and Carly lay next to him, nestled into his chest.

A part of Ella was happy to see them both sleeping soundly, but another part of her was jealous. Her sleep had not been quiet for some time now. Her dreams were haunted by images she could not explain. They were not nightmares per se, but they were not pleasant. She did not make much of them since her reading material before she went to bad was not the most easy-on-the-stomach kind of thing, but she did miss having a full night’s sleep.

She pondered for a moment but decided not to wake them up. She brought down a blanket from the linen closet and spread it over the sleeping couple. Going back up, she stripped off her dirty clothes and jumped in the shower.

Standing under the water, Ella pondered the recent spike in strength she had experienced and again wondered if it might be some kind of latent effect of the Vampire Killer. It seemed like a logical conclusion, but she couldn’t help the feeling that was telling her she was missing something.

With a mind full of questions, she got under the covers of her bed and turned off the light. She was slowly drifting off to sleep when a warm tingling spread through her body and made her smile. Her consciousness was already lost in the darkness that came with deep slumber, but her body still reacted to the new presence in her room.

o.O.o

Carlisle decided that he had spent enough time wallowing in self-pity after he had to leave the house on New Year’s Eve because he couldn’t handle Alice and Jasper’s closeness. They weren’t doing anything that they hadn’t done before—in fact, they had been surprisingly chaste—but it was too much for Carlisle. Knowing what he could have, knowing that it was just outside of his reach, was just too much for him.

He left to clear his mind, and when he made the trip back to Forks, he decided that he should pay a visit to Elleanora. Reason claimed that since she was his mate—and he was practically certain that she was—she should be unable to love another male. It was like that with vampires, but since he had never heard of a vampire and human mating and the human _not_ being turned shortly after contact was made, he had no idea if Elleanora felt the pull and if the same reason applied to her. However, doubt had begun chipping away at his conviction that he couldn’t have her, that she was in love with another man. He could have easily misinterpreted what he had seen; the man she was hugging could have been a friend that she had not seen in a long time.

Cautiously optimistic, Carlisle crept close to her house. The house was quiet. Judging from the number of heartbeats he could hear, he surmised that there were three people in the house. He listened carefully for conversation, but all he could pick up was even breathing from all three. He decided to take a chance and approached the house closer. Carlisle used the trees closes to the house for cover and climbed one of them. He had a clear view to the second floor windows, and one of them was open. He could feel the pull inside his chest intensify, and before his own actions registered in his mind, he was climbing the window and sliding inside the room. Although it was clear it was a bedroom, there was no one sleeping in it at that moment. He glanced at the hallway and saw that there was another bedroom on the other side.

Guilt and pleasure intermixed as he walked to the room where he knew Elleanora was currently sleeping. His conscience was practically screaming at him for what he was doing, but a much stronger instinct overpowered it. He needed to be near her. It was no longer a matter of choice.

He could smell a faint trace of her in the air. He remembered from their meeting in the hospital that she hardly had any scent at all. The logical side of his mind surmised that the only reason he was able to sense it now was the fact that it was a room in which she spent a lot of her time, thus permeating the space, making her scent noticeable. Being so close to her, smelling just the faintest trace of her scent, was sweet torture. He felt new wants stirring within his body, and he had to keep himself from acting out on them, but the warmth that slowly began to spread through his body was unbelievable.

He stood at the entrance to her room for several long minutes, eyes focused on the sleeping Slayer, when he heard her mumble something. It was unintelligible and barely audible, so he stepped closer.

“Sweet...magnolias bloom...on weekends,” she mumbled. “You...prepare...Montoya.”

He couldn’t help himself. His body moved of its own volition, and he found himself standing next to her, his hand raised to caress her cheek. His conscience and logic screamed at him, but it was too late; he was already touching her.

His heart swelled inside him when she seemed to lean into his touch. Her skin was so warm, so soft. He knew that had he allowed himself, the next thing he would have done was take her, claim her. He wanted to, felt his body reacting and preparing, but this wasn’t right. He was already in the wrong.

“Daniel,” she murmured, leaning into his touch again.

He froze, his hand snapping to his side. Her word was the metaphorical bucket of ice spilling on his head. She was leaning into him as she whispered another man’s name. It took only a sixteenth of a second for him to flash to her open bedroom window and slide out of the house.

He felt so cold. There was nothing inside him but a chill.

A tortured howl escaped him, not unlike the one he had released on the night he came to see her arms wrapped around another man’s neck.

o.O.o

Ella woke up in a start when her pleasant dream was cut short by a horrible sound. Her head snapped to her open window when the same sound repeated. It was like a wounded animal crying for help, like a dying yelp of a predator facing death. She had no idea why the sound hurt her so much, but it did.

She felt tears well in her eyes and spill on her cheeks, and sadness, unimaginable sadness, filled her. She had no idea why she was crying and hurting so much, but as the painful cries of the animal continued, so did her tears.

Eventually, after almost two hours of sobbing, Ella fell back into a restless sleep. Her dreams that night were filled with pain.

o.O.o

Waking up the next morning, Ella felt groggy and tired. She still had no idea what had happened last night, but she had other issues to care about, so she pushed those thoughts aside and got ready for the day. She was glad to find Carly and Daniel already in the kitchen.

“Good morning,” she greeted them.

“Good morning, Ella.” Daniel smiled at her.

“Hey, El, how’d ya sleep?”

“Crappy.” Ella shrugged. “I did manage to eliminate the stalker we had,” she said nonchalantly.

“Way to go, Ella!” Carly raised her hand and high-fived Ella.

“Thanks.” Ella grinned. “It felt nice to kick her ass.”

“Well done, indeed,” Daniel agreed. The comment raised more than one question in his mind, but he decided that it would be best to leave them for later. “We have some good news as well.”

Ella grabbed a glass from the cupboard. “You found something?”

“Sure did!” Carly handed Ella the orange juice and said, “We found that the place we need to be looking for is called Lorsch Abbey, located next to...” She started giggling. “To...” She snorted. “Oh, God, I can’t say it without laughing!”

“To a town called Worms, which is in Germany,” Daniel finished for her, sighing.

Ella joined Carly’s laughter. “Worms? Lorsch? Adams Family much?”

“Exactly!” Carly said.

Daniel sighed again. He had the desire to bang his head on the cupboard behind him. He gave the girls a few minutes to calm down and then said, “If you’re quite finished...”

“Oh, come on, Danny, live a little,” Carly said.

“Danny?” He raised a brow. Shaking his head, he decided to ignore the nickname; acknowledging that it annoyed him would only make her use it again. “I believe that with Carly’s help we might have located the possible hiding place of the missing piece of the weapon.”

“You’re such a pessimist.” Carly huffed.

“So, when are we leaving?” Ella asked, taking a sip from the juice. Now that she wasn’t laughing so hard anymore, she could drink without fear of choking.

“Spring Break,” Daniel replied.

“Why so late?” Ella wondered. “Why not now? And don’t tell me it’s because of school, because I _will_ knock you down!”

Daniel smiled, unfazed by her threat. “Actually, it _is_ about school. It would be less suspicious if you didn’t disappear for a week or two in the middle of the school year.”

Ella knew he had a point. “Fine.”

“Good. I’ll talk to Jenks on Monday and make sure we have all the relevant documents.”

o.O.o

Alice and Jasper had to resort, albeit unwillingly, to the role of observers. Carlisle either avoided them while they were at the house, or he would be so lost in his thoughts that even when he _was_ in their company, his mind was absent. Jasper could sense the longing and hurt swirling along with determination and anger in Carlisle, so he knew that there was no point in talking to him about approaching Ella just yet. Frankly, after the way Alice’s attempt to speak to her had gone, Jasper was half of the mind to say that it was actually a good thing for Carlisle to avoid the bitter harpy. However, he was still worried about his closest friend, and he was frustrated at the situation.

Things remained unchanged for several months after that. It was as though there was a status quo where Alice and Jasper kept to themselves, avoiding crossing paths with Ella _and_ Carly, and at the same time, they tried to keep Carlisle company as much as they could. It wasn’t an easy thing to do; Carlisle would often take extra hours at the hospital, and when he would finally make his way home, he’d leave again soon after to hunt or to clear his thoughts.

If Carlisle had at least returned from his trips in a somewhat better shape emotionally, Jasper might have believed that he was really going to clear his head; but as it were, more often than not Carlisle came back in an even darker mood. It grew worse with time, and Jasper began avoiding him more often. Both he and Alice were worried about Carlisle’s deteriorating state of mind, but in February their worry turned to fear.

Alice had been monitoring Carlisle’s future on an almost daily basis by then. Each vision she had of him was darker and murkier than the previous one, but she held out hope that things would get better. It wasn’t until the middle of March, just shortly after school was out for Spring Break, that Alice truly panicked. Two events led to her running into Jasper’s arms, sobbing.

Ella and Carly left Forks for an unknown amount of time and to an unknown destination, and Carlisle’s future just turned black.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	15. Choices

**Chapter Fifteen – Choices**

_March, 1999_

Ella dusted her third vampire in one night and was growing worried. It had been quiet ever since she burned down the female vampire, and suddenly, three vamps in one night. She was halfway to Port Angeles tonight, and when the fourth vampire was dusted, she decided that it was time to see how long a trip to town would take. The distance was not a problem; she was in better shape in these past months than ever. It was only a matter of time and of how much Carly and Daniel would be worried when she failed to return at the usual time, and both could be handled with ease.

After two miles of jogging and no vampires to be seen, Ella pulled out her cell phone—a new gadget Daniel had insisted she carry with her—and texted Daniel to tell him she’d be late.

 _Be safe,_ he wrote back.

Ella rolled her eyes at the message and didn’t bother with an answer.

It took her another hour to reach Port Angeles, but it was worth the effort; at the very edge of the city, a new vampire had apparently developed megalomania and thought himself the new Vampire Master of the area.

The Slayer proved him wrong with very little effort.

She was faster than his minions, and they were history within moments. The idiot had tried to make a run for it.

“Didn’t anyone tell you that there’s no point in running?” Ella asked with clear amusement as she slid a stake into her palm. “You only die tired.” The stake flew from her hand in a movement that was almost too fast for even supernatural eyes to register.

She smiled. This was a very nice exercise for her, and her body was literally singing with joy. Every nerve ending was alive and tingling. Worry was long forgotten. She was a fighter; her body was her strongest weapon, and she was just aching to use it.

A roundhouse kick to the head of a minion was followed by a stake to his heart, thus dusting him. She didn’t bother with watching the dust settle; she was already following through with a set of punches to another minion.

“How about bowling?” she suggested. Grabbing onto a pole, she jumped and kicked a minion with both legs, pushing him back to fall on another trio that was coming behind him.

The minions that were still alive hissed at her, their thoughts wavering between fighting the Slayer and running for their lives.

“Not fans of bowling, eh?” she asked with faux sadness. ”How about a game of ’stake the vamp’ instead?” She squatted—avoiding the punches thrown to her side—and, using the stakes hidden in her boots, staked two minions simultaneously when she straightened up.

She grinned as two more minions were turned to dust, reducing the amount of vampires left to less than a dozen. It was almost too easy for her. The vampires were nowhere near as trained as she was, and they fought worse than a bunch of ten year-olds.

“Now, where do you think _you’re_ going?” Ella spotted a minion trying to escape instead of fighting her. “Two points for understanding that it’s healthier to run than fight.”

She used the vampire separating her from the fugitive as leverage and jumped over him. Landing behind him, she shoved a stake through his heart without turning around. She focused her attention on the scared minion that had his head snapping between her and the door, waiting to see what he would decide. After a few seconds, the vampire made a move toward the door.

“Minus three points for thinking you’d get away,” she said as she threw a stake at him, piercing his heart.

She handled the rest of the vampires from that coven in a similar manner, making dust—and fun—of them.

Fifteen minutes later, a smug Ella began making her way back to Forks. She thought that Steward would have said something about dragging out the fight for too long, and she knew that he would have been right. However, fighting those babbling fools had been fun, and fun was something of a rare commodity these past months, so she took what she could get.

o.O.o

Ella returned home in a much better mood than the one she had left in. The local pests—as she referred to the coven she had just destroyed—had been eliminated, so she could leave for Germany with a calm mind.

She almost felt like singing by the time she made her way back home, and she laughed at herself. Singing at four o’clock in the morning would probably not go over very well with Carly and Daniel. Using her most careful movements, Ella walked up the stairs and to her bedroom without making a sound. She enjoyed a hot shower and went to bed feeling optimistic about her ability to sleep. She hadn’t been sleeping well for the past three months. Ever since that time she woke up crying, her sleep had been light and filled with nightmares. Tonight, however, she fell asleep with a smile.

Her favorite dream returned that night, and Ella continued smiling in her sleep. She was in a different location, on a riverbank, but it was the same man sitting next to her as the one from her meadow dream. He had his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into his hold.

His golden hair looked almost white in the bright sun, and his skin was so pale that it looked like it had a blue tint to it. She could see his large hand resting on her cheek, and a light blush colored them as he leaned closer to her.

Ella knew that he must have kissed her, but her dream was cut short at that point and she was suddenly standing in the middle of a graveyard. It was no longer sunny, but she had no problem seeing in the heavy darkness. The area was unfamiliar to her, and as she scanned around her, she noticed that the inscriptions on the tombstones were not in English, even though the letters were familiar.

She wondered what language it might be when the words suddenly changed. It was as though her dream was morphing to her will, and she was suddenly able to read the inscriptions.

_“From the thankful town of Viernheim to our citizens that died fighting in the world wars 1914–1918 and 1939–1945.”_

She looked over the three identical graves and wondered what meaning this could hold for her. A moment later, the words blurred again and the writings turned unreadable. She tried to move, to walk out of the dark cemetery, but her feet would not obey her mind. She tried to bend down to free her feet from whatever was holding them in place but found herself paralyzed.

As panic was spreading through her, words and images began to swirl around her: images of the blond-haired man on one hand and images of the three graves on the other. It felt as though she were being forced to choose between her duty and something else...Her heart?

Ella woke up with a start, her breath uneven. An ominous feeling crept into her, filling her with dread. For the first time in months, she questioned their planned trip to Germany. Brushing her hair away from her face, she wondered if she should mention her dream to Carly or Daniel. A few moments later, her breath evened, and the dream’s effect faded. She decided that it was nothing but a semi-scary dream that had started out quite nicely and that mentioning it to anyone else would only serve to embarrass her.

o.O.o

“Ella, do you remember telling me about Richter Belmont leaving you a letter?” Daniel asked. “More specifically, do you remember the records that he mentioned in it?”

Ella thought back to the letter she had read so long ago. “Yes, I remember something like that, but we never found anything other than the key in his safe.”

“And the weapon in the basement,” Carly added.

“Well, I did some digging around, and I found out that Richter was out of the country for two weeks just before he died.”

“Let me guess, Germany?” Ella asked.

Daniel nodded. “He used a route similar to the one we are going to be using tomorrow; he flew in through Frankfurt International Airport and checked into a motel near Lorsch, in Worms.”

Ella leaned back on the couch. “You think that he took those records with him.”

“I do,” he said. “I don’t know where he went from there, but I am certain that he was aware of the importance of The Abbey of Lorsch.”

“Which is conveniently located not a twenty minutes’ drive from Viernheim, where we’re going to be staying,” Carly added. “I guess we now know that we’re looking in the right place.”

“I wonder what those records hold in them...” Ella said, almost speaking to herself. “On what date exactly did he fly to Germany?” She looked at Daniel.

He understood her question immediately. “Let me check.” He spent a few minutes looking for the information on his laptop before he spoke again. “He flew three years after he had written that letter.”

“Wanna bet that he left something for us to find there?” Carly smiled.

Daniel chuckled. “No, I’m not a fan of losing.”

o.O.o

The flight to Frankfurt was smooth, and Ella was even able to catch a few more hours of sleep before the plane landed on foreign soil. They had a general plan of where they were going, but since there was just so much they could do from afar, they kept things fairly flexible.

The first stop they made was to pick up the rental car that Jenks had promised would be waiting for them. Daniel had no reason to doubt that Jenks would pull through, but being on the same continent as the headquarters of The Council was too close for comfort for his taste.

The tense atmosphere even got to Carly, who was quieter than usual during the car ride to Viernheim.

They checked in to a hotel—the rooms were reserved in advance by Jenks—and went upstairs to freshen up. The girls were sharing a room, and Daniel had the room down the hall from them.

After unpacking and taking a shower, they all came down for lunch at the hotel’s dining room. They picked a table that was at the furthest corner of the room so they could have as much privacy as was possible.

“I went ahead and called the Abbey to check their operating hours,” Daniel said once they were sitting down. “They said the Abbey itself is open till six. I asked about the historical parts and how much of that was available to the public...” He shook his head in disappointment.

“Not much, huh?” Carly asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

He smiled at her. “No. Most of the Abbey’s older parts were heavily damaged from a flood a few years back. They have reconstructed some of it, but the oldest parts—the ones that we probably need—are closed to the public and will remain so for the foreseeable future.”

“Come on, Danny, cheer up!” Ella winked at him. “Isn’t breaking and entering one of the American pastimes?”

“No, I believe that’s one of _your_ pastime activities,” Daniel retorted with an innocent look on his face.

Carly burst out laughing.

Ella shook her head, hiding her own smile, and went back to eating her lunch.

o.O.o

They left the hotel after lunch and made the drive to the Abbey of Lorsch. There wasn’t much to see in terms of the public tour while there, but they weren’t there to listen to the guide telling them the history of the structure. They had done their research beforehand and probably knew more than the guide, anyway. Carly made meticulous sketches of the Abbey, and Ella looked for the position of the guards and locks. Daniel had already discovered that the alarm system in this facility was not very high-tech, but it was still something to take into consideration.

After their afternoon recon mission, as Carly chose to refer to it, they returned to the hotel. They had made it up to the girls’ room when all hell broke loose. It all started with Ella’s announcement that she was going to go on her own, refusing to even be driven there by Daniel.

“No, Ella!” Daniel said firmly. “You’re not going there alone, and that’s final.”

“Oh, really?” Ella asked. “And who’s going to stop me?”

“I will stop you.” Daniel’s voice was calm, but the underlying steel note was unmistakable.

“You and what army?” She raised a brow, folding her arms across her chest. “I can take you, and you know it.”

“Stop being such a selfish bitch, Elleanora!” Carly snapped.

“That’s rich, coming from you.” Ella huffed. “I think you have the corner on Selfish and Bitch.”

Carly raised her hand to slap Ella, but it was caught by Daniel before she could follow through. “You don’t want to do that, Carly,” he told her gently, never looking away from Ella.

“Yes, Carly, you really don’t want to do that,” she mocked. “You might hurt that pretty little hand of yours.” She turned to her bag and began pulling out her dark clothing.

“Ella, please, listen to reason,” Daniel tried again. He couldn’t understand what was going on with her. She had never acted this way before.

“I am, Daniel.” Ella pulled off the sweater and shirt she was wearing, completely ignoring the gasps of shock from the other two people in the room who suddenly found themselves being flashed, and put on the black long-sleeved shirt. Next, she quickly took off her skirt and slid into a pair of long black pants.

She was moving so fast that Daniel and Carly couldn’t even get their mouths to work before she was all dressed again and pulling out a crossbow from her bag.

“Ella, I don’t think you should—,” Carly began.

“Put it down, Ella!” Daniel demanded.

Ella turned to glare at them. Holding the weapon, she gave them a bone chilling smile. “Fine. You want to take the Abbey, go ahead. I’m gonna see if the German vamps are tougher than their American counterparts. If that’s all right with my wardens, of course.”

She didn’t wait for a reply; instead, she walked past them and out of the room.

“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Carly stared at the closed door, fighting tears.

“I don’t know.” Daniel sighed, placing a comforting hand on Carly’s shoulder and gently pulling her in for a hug. “I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out, I promise.”

Carly tightened her hold on him for a moment before letting go. She liked the feeling but didn’t want the situation to turn awkward. “I think that while Ella cools down, we should hit the library.”

“I agree.”

o.O.o

“So what are we looking for?” Carly said as they made their way from where Daniel had parked the car to the library.

“Well, we know that the priest had found a way to hide his part of the Vampire Killer. I think that we need to see if we can find some sort of a record of the lands belonging to Lorsch Abbey.”

“Sounds like a good place to start.” Carly nodded.

They approached the building that housed the Heidelberg University Library. It was a very large structure, highly decorated, and Carly couldn’t hold in her gasp of surprise.

Daniel smiled in understanding. The red-brown hue of the bricks was unusual, but the detailed, carved ornaments, the large windows, and the coat of arms presented at the top of the entranceway were very impressive to someone seeing it for the first time. Even though he had been there before, Daniel still felt awe fill him as he passed through the heavy double doors of the entrance.

The sign in the lobby said that the reading room was located on the second floor and was open till ten pm, so they took the stairs. It was very convenient that most of the information appeared in both German and English, Carly thought.

The first thing Carly noticed about the vast hall was how quiet it was. There were quite easily more than fifty tables in the middle of the hall, surrounded by rows upon rows of shelves, but there was not even a whisper to be heard in the room. Afraid to speak, she let Daniel lead the way to the reception desk. She listened as he asked the librarian something in hushed tones, and she assumed that since she didn’t understand a word of what was being said, he must be speaking in German again.

Daniel gestured at her to follow him and took her to one of the shelving units. Once they were far from the center and surrounded by books, he spoke to her again.

“The librarian says that records from the time period we are looking for should be found here somewhere.”

Carly looked around, not surprised to see that most of the titles were written in German. “How are we supposed to find something in here?”

Daniel paused to look at the shelves, and after a few moments, he gestured behind her. “I’d suggest we start with that one.”

“Why?”

“Because it is titled _Lorscher Codex_.” He smiled.

“Smartass,” Carly murmured under her breath.

Taking the book from the shelf, Carly opened it and read the introduction, which was thankfully in English.

_The Lorsch Codex (Chronicon Laureshamense, Lorscher Codex, Codex Laureshamensis) is an important historical document created between about 1175 to 1195 AD in the Monastery of Saint Nazarius in Lorsch, Germany. It details the gifts given to the monastery and the possessions belonging to it, which thus gives some of the first mention of cities of the Middle Ages in central Germany, and in particular in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis region. Over one thousand places are named._

_No original of the Lorsch codex is known; however, the copy of the Lorsch Codex that is housed in the Bavarian State Archive today is considered the most accurate one in existence. This is an exact copy of that document._

“This looks promising,” Daniel murmured, reading the introduction along with Carly.

They took the book with them to a table, and Daniel took out the translated copy of the priest’s diary form the 12th century that he had brought with him.

After reading through the passages again, he whispered to Carly, “I think we will need to look for lands that were given to the monastery, possibly even an anonymous donation.” Seeing Carly’s wondered expression, he pointed out a certain line in the diary. “He makes a reference to _holy grounds_ and tells us to search _under the nameless tomb in Laurishaim_. From what I was able to gather, Lorsch Abbey doesn’t have a graveyard next to it.”

“So we should see if it was given land that was later turned into a graveyard,” Carly said quietly. “I took a map of Viernheim with me from the hotel, and I’m pretty sure that they would have maps here in the library that we could borrow if we need to. We should be able to match any maps appearing in this codex with the modern maps.” She frowned. “I hope.”

“There’s one way to find out,” Daniel nodded at the Codex.

“Okay.”

o.O.o

Soon it turned out that Daniel’s basic German was not enough for them to make much progress. The Codex was written in a very old and complex dialect that Daniel just couldn’t decipher.

Carly volunteered to check the shelf again to see if there might be an English copy while Daniel tried the librarian. She searched through the section several times, but the only other copies were in French and Spanish, so neither was of any help.

“Would it have killed them to translate it to freaking English?” she grumbled.

“Excuse me?”

Carly turned around to see a girl standing not too far from her.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” the girl said. “I couldn’t help but overhear you. I’m Elizabeth, Elizabeth Almond. Maybe I could be of help?”

Carly doubted that Elizabeth would be of much help, as the girl had a somewhat British accent, but she decided that she had nothing to lose. “Well, I have a text that is written in German that is too complex for us to translate...”

Elizabeth smiled. “I am a student here at Heidelberg University. My minor is in History, so I think I might be able to offer some assistance.”

Carly’s smile turned from hesitant to brilliant. “That would be great!”

She led Elizabeth to the table where Daniel was already sitting and offered her a seat.

“Daniel, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is my friend Daniel,” she introduced them and then looked at Daniel. “Elizabeth is a student here, and she said she might be able to help us in translating the Codex.”

Daniel was hesitant, but he slid the Codex toward the new addition to the table. He briefly explained what they were looking for, making the excuse that they were trying to locate a family heirloom that had been lost for generations.

Eager to help, Elizabeth began translating the entries for the two. Carly was very excited when only fifteen minutes later they had found a promising lead. Being a local resident, Elizabeth was immediately able to say that Viernheim once belonged to the Abbey—as it was common at the time for the area.

“Do you see this entry?” Elizabeth pointed out a line in the middle of page 187 of the Codex.

“Yes,” Carly said. “It means a whole lot of nothing to me.”

Daniel sighed. “From what I can tell it speaks about a place of burial?”

“It does.” Elizabeth nodded. “This is actually a reference to Waldfriedhof...” She paused, searching for the correct translation. “In English, it would probably translate to the Forest cemetery. It is located on Lorscher Straße.”

“I see,” Daniel murmured. He looked up the location on the map Carly had taken from the hotel. Sure enough, the cemetery was marked clear as day. It would be a good place to start searching.

o.O.o

“Thank you so much for your help, Elizabeth,” Carly said as they were walking out of the library. “Can we offer you a ride somewhere?”

“No, thank you. The bus stop is just a minute’s walk from here. Good luck with finding that heirloom.”

“Thank you.” Carly smiled. “Have a great evening.”

“You, too, bye.”

Carly waited until they walked far enough to be out of hearing range before she spoke again. “She didn’t buy that for a second, did she?”

“I’m afraid not,” Daniel agreed. “I don’t think she can do anything with her suspicions, so we should be safe.”

“I hope so.” Carly sighed. “Do you think that Ella is back by now?”

Daniel glanced at his wristwatch. “I don’t know, but we should stop by the hotel before we go for dinner. If she’s there, I’d like to tell her what we have found.”

o.O.o

Elizabeth waited until the two tourists were out of sight and made a run for her car. She did not think for a moment that their mission in Germany, whatever it was, was as innocent as tracking down a lost family heirloom. No, they were looking for something that was much more serious than that.

Having picked up the name of the hotel where they were staying from the map that Carly had shown her, Elizabeth knew where to find them without having to follow them too closely and risk being exposed.

The historic city center of Heidelberg had some pretty confusing turns for tourists visiting it the first time. However, as a local to the area, Elizabeth knew the quickest way to get to their hotel, and so she had made it there long before Carly and Daniel.

She sat down on one of the couches and picked up a newspaper, pretending to read it, and watched the door. She kept an eye on them as they parked the car, entered the lobby, and walked to the elevators, and she watched them enter an empty one. Looking at the display just above the doors told her which floor they had stopped.

Elizabeth only had to wait ten minutes before the two came down to the lobby again. The question of where they would have dinner was easily solved when she eavesdropped on their conversation with the concierge, as well as the fact that in a small town such as Viernheim, there really weren’t that many places to eat a decent dinner.

Since her instructions were to observe and gain as much information as possible, she followed them to the restaurant and then back to the hotel. Due to the loud noise in the restaurant, she was unable to pick up anything useful from their conversation. Disappointed, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to sit in the lobby again, as that would draw too much attention, so she parked her car across the street from the hotel entrance and waited for them to come out.

It was a gamble on her side, but she was fairly certain that they would visit the graveyard sooner rather than later.

Her decision to wait paid off when a few minutes after midnight she saw Carly, Daniel, and a third female make their way to the rental car. Knowing their destination, she took a shortcut and beat them to the cemetery, where she waited in a dark corner of the parking lot for them to arrive.

She couldn’t see where they parked their car, but she did see them approach the stone walls that surrounded the cemetery, over which they climbed. She did not want to go after them, but she knew that she must. Having heard the legends told from mother to daughter, Elizabeth had always thought them nothing more than just fiction. She had never expected to find out that everything she had been told as a child was true. When her uncle approached her two weeks ago, she could have sworn he was either high or drunk—not an uncommon state for him. However, when he gave her the details of her mission, she knew that this was not a joking matter.

If these three were imposters, then they would not leave this cemetery alive. Elizabeth had already made all of the necessary calls and arrangements, happy that she did not have to be the one pulling the trigger, but if they were the real deal... She did not dare hope.

A knock on her window caused her to nearly jump out of her skin.

“Onkel!” she hissed. “Verfickte Scheiße, du hast mich halb zu Tode erschreckt!”

“Hör auf zu fluchen, Lisa!” her uncle chastised her for cursing. “Komm mit.”

“Was? Warum?” she asked in a terrified whisper, deciding to forgo telling him not to call her by her hated nickname. She did not want to be present at what was about to turn into an execution.

“Du hast keine Wahl, du bist jetzt ein Teil des Konzils.”

“Scheiße,” she murmured under her breath. She hated when she had no choice left, and since when had she become a part of the Council? Knowing better than to argue, Elizabeth got out of the car, locked it, and followed her uncle.

o.O.o

Ella returned to the hotel in much the same way that she had left. Her intention had been to patrol the local cemeteries, but that had turned out to be a pointless effort because there was only one cemetery in Viernheim, and the local vamp population seemed to be a big fat zero.

She really wanted to punch something, but all she had on her hands was a freaking boring hole in the middle of nowhere. And the people didn’t even have the decency to speak English here. She didn’t know if their German was any better, but she thought that in a place like this, there was bound to be some sort of local dialect that even normal German people—if such a creature even existed—wouldn’t understand.

As the day drew to a close, she gave up on finding something to beat the crap out of and headed toward the hotel. Her spirits lifted a bit when Carly and Daniel told her about their findings; if it meant that she would be able to return home sooner, it was definitely an improvement.

She did not know when Forks had become home for her, but she could say with confidence that it was her home now. And right now, she would have loved to say the hell with everything and then catch the next flight home. This place felt foreign to her. Wrong, even.

o.O.o

“So do we have a name or are we going to look under each and every tombstone?” Ella asked. “’Cause that’s going to take some serious digging, and I’m not in the mood for that.” Looking around her, she added, “Plus, I think we might need some heavy duty machinery to get under all this marble.”

Carly rolled her eyes and exchanged a hidden smile with Daniel. Daniel just sighed.

“We should probably start with the older part,” Daniel suggested after a few moments. “Also, I think it is more likely that Richter Belmont hid this part in a mausoleum rather than actually under a tombstone.”

“It doesn’t look like there are many of those around here,” Carly commented.

Ella chuckled. “How about that chapel over there?”

“Yes, that could work,” Daniel agreed.

With Ella in the lead, the trio made their way to the chapel. The door was locked, but that didn’t stop Ella. All it really needed was a slight pull from the Slayer before it gave way.

Once inside, they spread out. Ella had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was being watched, but every time she turned to look around her, she saw nothing suspicious. She tried listening to the beating hearts around her, but the echo from the footsteps nearly drowned out every other sound.

“Ah ha!” Daniel called from somewhere in the back of the chapel. “Let’s meet outside so we can all see this.”

“Fine,” Carly replied.

Ella didn’t bother with an answer as she made her way out. She waited under a street lamp until Daniel and Carly joined her. She noticed that Daniel was carrying a small wooden box with him.

“This is addressed to you, Ella,” Daniel said, handing her an envelope.

Opening it, she read aloud,

“ _Dear Elleanora,_

_I put my faith in your hands that you will find this note. If my suspicions about you are right, then you will know how to use what is inside this box. I hope that you are not alone in your quest, for it will not be an easy one. I have tried my best to arrange for support for you, but one cannot predict the future with accuracy, and as you probably know by now, prophecies are tricky creatures._

_I had the honor of knowing your parents, and I am sorry to tell you that your father has been killed and that I fear for the fate of your mother, as I have not heard from her in much too long of a time. I wish I could give you more than what you will find here, but I feel that my time on this earth is coming to an end._

_I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that you will find some comfort in what little I could leave you with.  
  
Good luck,_

_Richter Belmont._ ”

Daniel handed her the box.

She rolled her eyes when she opened the box to find yet another envelope. “Figures.”

“What is it?” Carly said.

“I don’t know.” Ella handed the envelope to Daniel. “I will tell you what I _do_ know: this piece of shit doesn’t look like a freaking weapon to me.”

“It looks like a list of contacts,” Daniel said after reading the short list. “I don’t know how many of them would still be relevant, but it’s worth a shot checking them out.”

“I’m tired of it!” Ella shoved the letter inside the box. “I’m tired of long shots. All we ever get is one cryptic note after another. It could be all a freaking delusion of a dying man, for all we know.”

“Elleanora, shut up,” Daniel snapped. Ella was about to reply, but he lifted his hand and continued to speak. “I know we’re all on edge, but you’re acting like a spoiled brat, and quite frankly, I’m tired of it.”

“You’re tired of it?” she hissed.

“Yes, I am tired of it. You’re acting like all we do is sit on our collective asses and do nothing, and you know very well that it is not true. Instead of helping, all you do is whine.”

Ella looked at him, speechless.

“We are going to go back to the hotel, get some sleep, and tomorrow we’re going to check if any of the people on this list know anything about Richter Belmont. You might be the Slayer, but right now you’re nothing more than an angry little girl whose toy’s been taken away.” Daniel turned to Carly. “Come on. I think Ella could use the walk to cool off.”

Ella stared in shock as the only two people she had in the world turned their backs on her and left.

* * *

_**Translation for the conversation in German:** _

_“Uncle!” she hissed. “Fucking shit, you scared me half to death.”_

_“Watch your language, Lisa!” her uncle chastised her for cursing. “Come with me.”_

_“What? Why?” she asked in a terrified whisper, deciding to forgo telling him not to call her by her hated nickname. She did not want to be present at what was about to turn into an execution._

_“You don’t have a choice. You’re part of the Council now.”_

_“Shit,” she murmured under her breath._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	16. Consequences

**Chapter Sixteen – Consequences**

Ella stood there for several long moments under the light of the streetlamp. She curled her hand around a piece of metal that was protruding from the post and crumbled it into dust. She tried to keep her breathing even. She had reached her breaking point, and the person that suddenly placed his hand on her shoulder just came to the wrong place and touched the wrong Slayer.

In the blink of an eye, she had that person pressed facedown to the pavement, his arm twisted painfully behind his back, and her knee planted firmly on it.

“Let me guess,” she said. “You were just walking innocently in the middle of the cemetery and decided that creeping up behind an unsuspecting woman was a good idea.”

Her senses attuned, she sensed the attack coming from the two other people around her as soon as they jumped from between the bushes. Hearing their heartbeats, she knew that they were human and that killing them would probably not earn her any brownie points. Keeping one foot planted on the first man, she elbowed the other, sending him flying back at a tombstone, and used the third one’s momentum to throw him at the nearest grave.

“Oh, look, you brought your friends with you,” she said, looking at the two unconscious men lying around her. “Not that any of you is likely to be speaking English in this hell hole,” she murmured to herself.

“Freeze!” a shout came from behind her, and Ella heard the distinct sound of a gun being cocked.

She turned her head to see a young girl standing with a gun aimed at her. “You should really put that thing down, little girl. Guns are not to be played with.”

“I _will_ shoot you if you don’t let him go.”

Ella could see the girl’s fingers shaking as she tried to steady the gun. “I can cut the air supply to your lungs before you can shoot me,” she said calmly. “So, how about no?”

The girl held the gun more firmly, trying to keep her eyes on the girl in front of her. “Let him go. Now.”

“Are you sure you want me to let him go?” Ella asked in a much-too-sweet tone.

“Yes.”

Ella squatted down, grabbed the man by his neck, and pressed just hard enough to make him lose consciousness.

The girl didn’t even have time to shout, “No!” before the man collapsed at Ella’s feet.

“Okay, now that it’s just you and me, how about you tell me why you’re trying to attack me and my friends?” Ella didn’t seem to even notice that the gun was still aimed at her.

“Didn’t sound like you cared about them too much,” the girl commented.

Ella shrugged. She wasn’t about to tell her that she intentionally made her friends leave before they could be attacked. “What’s your name, gun-girl?”

“What do you care?” the girl asked in a shaky tone.

“Well...” Ella grinned at the girl, listening as her heartbeat increased with panic. “I thought you’d like to have your name on your tombstone rather than just have gun-girl written there, but if you insist...”

The sharp intake of breath made Ella’s grin grow even wider. She saw the girl’s hands shake even harder and made a step toward her.

“Don’t come any closer!” the girl tried to threaten her.

Ella took another step forward, and in a motion that was much too quick for the girl’s eyes, disarmed her. “Now, that’s better.” She shoved the gun into her belt. “Your name?”

“El...Eli...”

“Eli?”

The girl was shaking too hard to answer in words, so she shook her head.

“Okay, well, how about we start with why you attacked me?”

“I—it wa—was a t—test.”

“A test?” Ella was baffled. “A test of what? How long it would take three grown men to piss themselves? How long will you last against me all on your own?”

“N—no.”

Ella sighed. The girl was too shaken up to be of much help at the moment. “Okay, let’s get one thing straight. I am not a killer, and I have no intention of starting a career as a serial killer, so chances are, if you tell me what I want to know, I won’t be causing you irreversible physical damage, how’s that?”

The girl nodded.

“Good, so how about you tell me what your name is and why you were trying to attack me and my friends?”

“My name is Elizabeth, and we weren’t trying to attack you.”

Ella raised a brow.

Elizabeth sighed. “We had to make sure that you are the true heir to the Belmont bloodline.”

“Oh, and who’s we?”

“The Almond family.” Having seen what Ella could do, Elizabeth had no doubt that she was indeed facing the long-awaited heir—or heiress, as was the case. “My family is a distant branch of the Belmonts. We are also known as the Keepers of the Heart.”

“Family doesn’t usually point guns at other family members.”

Elizabeth blushed. “I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting you to be the real deal. We are sworn to protect the secret, and my uncle told me that there had been prior attempts.”

Ella sighed. “Let me guess, the Council?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Yeah, I’d point a gun at those fuckers myself.” Ella nodded. “I have some apologies to make to my friends, and it’s pretty late, so what do you say we meet up tomorrow somewhere where we can talk in private?”

“I’m going to have to talk to my uncle first, but I think it won’t be a problem. I will call your hotel tomorrow at ten am and let you know the where and when, is that okay?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Ella gave Elizabeth her room number and then looked behind her at the men that were beginning to wake. “How did you guys get in here anyway? I don’t see you climbing up a wall in that skirt.”

Elizabeth smiled. “We used a key.”

Ella shook her head and laughed. “Figures. You’ll be okay with them?” She gestured at the men.

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then.”

Elizabeth watched as Ella walked out of the cemetery, jumping over the stone wall with amazing grace, and sighed. Her uncle and nephew would not be happy about this turn of events, but she was certain that she’d done the right thing.

o.O.o

After getting back to the hotel, Ella told Carly and Daniel about the events that had taken place in the cemetery after they had left and made her apologies. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch back at the cemetery. I let my temper get away from me”.

“And here I thought you were being a bitch to get us out of harm’s way,” Carly said, smiling.

“Although I did use that excuse on Elizabeth, that’s not the real reason.” Ella sighed. “I guess I’m just homesick... I’m sorry.”

“We forgive you,” Carly said.

“Apology accepted,” Daniel agreed. He decided to change the subject. “I spoke to Jenks while you were away. I asked him to run a background check on the names that we found in the box. I’ll ask him to add the Almond family to that list. We should have the results in the morning.”

Ella smiled. “Sometimes, there’s something to be said for time differences.”

“True.” Daniel nodded. “Now, I think some rest is in order.”

“Definitely!” Carly stood up. “Ella, you want to shower first?”

“No, go ahead, I’ll go second.”

“Fine.”

Daniel stood as well and went to the door. “I’ll knock on your door tomorrow around nine to fill you in on what Jenks has to say.”

“Sounds good,” Ella agreed. “Good night, Daniel.”

“Good night, Ella.”

o.O.o

Ella sighed as she climbed into bed after her shower. She could hear that Carly was already sleeping, and if she listened closely, she could also hear that Daniel was getting ready for bed himself in the next room. Closing her eyes, Ella wished for a better day tomorrow.

Her night was filled with nightmares again. She saw herself walking through dark tunnels and climbing endless flights of stairs. The image of a ghostly pale woman and the sound of barking dogs followed her wherever she went. She could feel her lungs fighting for air, but she saw no reason for her labored breaths. The stairs suddenly shifted, and Ella no longer knew which way was up and which way was down. She tried to stop herself from going up or down any more stairs, but her body would not listen to her.

Fear was threatening to choke her again as the stairs disappeared altogether and she found herself falling. It was growing darker by the second, and pain flared in her body. At first it was just in her fingertips and toes, but as she fell deeper, the pain spread. She heard her heart beating faster, filling her ears with much-too-loud pulsations. She felt her body become heavy, and suddenly a fire exploded in her chest, burning her from the inside.

Ella gulped for air and tried to scream, but it was a fruitless effort. She shot up in her bed a moment later. Looking around, she saw that it was still dark. Carly was sound asleep in the bed next to her. She could still feel her heart racing and the remnants of pain. It was not unfamiliar. She had felt a similar pain every time she let her mind wander in the past few months. It was like she was missing something...or some _one_.

Getting up, Ella walked to the bathroom to wash her face. Looking in the mirror, she could see dark circles beneath her eyes. Worse, she could see the fear and pain still evident in her gaze. She hated seeing that expression on her face. Taking a deep breath, she decided to go back to bed and get some more sleep.

Feeling very cold, Ella curled into the blanket and tried to focus her mind on happier thoughts. She felt as though the fear in her dreams was starting to manifest itself in a physical form, and she wondered if she should mention something to Daniel or Carly. As she was falling asleep, she decided that it was best to avoid worrying them. Nightmares were not foreign to her. She had been having many ever since she was first introduced to the supernatural world. She could wait until they were back home to worry about this.

o.O.o

“Jenks couldn’t find a single detail about these people?” Carly was shocked.

Daniel nodded. “He said that he tried everything he could think of, but he could find no trace of them.”

“The only reason I can think of for him not finding anything is that these are not actual names.” Carly looked down at the list of contacts that they had found the night before. “These look like legitimate names, but what if they are in fact code?”

“That’s an interesting concept,” Daniel agreed, looking thoughtful.

“What about the Almond family?” Ella asked. “Are they real?”

“Yes,” Daniel said. “Jenks is going to search deeper, but from what he was able to discern, they don’t have any ties to the Watchers’ Council. He was unable to establish a relationship to the Belmont clan, too.”

“Considering the Belmonts’ high position on the _Species to be Extinct by the Council_ list, it makes sense,” Carly said.

Ella chuckled. “Yeah, it does. So, are we going to agree to meet with them?”

“I think we should, but I would like to suggest a public meeting place.”

“Why, Daniel?” Carly looked at him with a confused expression. “I think we should go for a private location where we won’t be overheard.”

“True, but I don’t trust them yet,” he responded. “I would like us to be the ones offering the location, and since we aren’t locals, we can’t offer something that isn’t public....unless, of course, we want to meet them here?”

Ella shook her head the same time Carly said, “No, here’s not good.”

“So...where?” Ella asked. “The library? A restaurant?”

“This might sound strange, but how about outside the cemetery?” Daniel suggested.

“You’re right,” Carly said. “It does sound weird.”

Daniel chucked.

“Why there?” Ella asked.

“Well, I doubt that there would be too many people there, and I think that an open place would be better.”

Ella thought about it for a moment. “I would be able to sense if there was anyone around us more easily. I think I like that plan.”

“Then we’re set,” Daniel said. “We have about forty minutes until they call. Do you feel like breakfast?”

Carly nodded, and Ella said, “Sure.”

o.O.o

Elizabeth called them at exactly ten that morning, being just as punctual as Ella thought she would be. She requested a change of venue, asking to meet outside Lorsch Abbey instead of the cemetery.

While Ella did not mind the change, she wondered at the reason for it.

“My family wants to be fully convinced that you are the rightful heir,” Elizabeth said. “They would like to perform a test, and that test can only be done in the Abbey.”

“Would they like me to perform a trick and imitate a three-headed monkey while they’re at it?” Ella asked in irritation.

“Um...” Elizabeth didn’t really know what to say to that.

Seeing the change in Ella’s expression, Daniel quickly took over the conversation before the Slayer could start yet another fight. “When would you like us to be there?”

“At half past six,” Elizabeth answered. Her sigh of relief was audible even on the other side of the line. “The Abbey closes down at six, so we should have plenty of privacy.”

“All right, we will be there,” Daniel said.

“There is just one more thing...”

“Yes?” Daniel glanced at Ella and Carly, who were pissed and annoyed respectively, and knew that he was in for a world of trouble from both of them.

“Bring the weapon with you.”

“Fine, we will. See you at half past six.” _If I survive that long,_ Daniel added in his mind.

“See you then.”

Ella continued to glare at Daniel, and he was starting to get worried when her body started to shake.

Carly was more direct. “Are you freaking kidding me? Why did you just agree to—basically—have Ella be used as a fucking guinea pig for a bunch of God-knows-who with a shit-load of sticks stuck up their collective asses?”

Daniel stared at her, blinking several times, trying to decide if laughing right now would be a bad idea.

“A shit-load of sticks up their collective asses?” Ella asked Carly, shaking her head.

Never one to hold on to her anger for long, Carly rolled her eyes and fought a smile. “I’m serious. Why did you agree, Daniel?”

“I think that they could prove to be a powerful ally,” Daniel explained. “Ella, you said that the Almonds call themselves Keepers of the Heart. I think that they have the missing part of the weapon that we are looking for. And if they do, it is only logical for them to want to make sure that they don’t lead the wrong person to it.”

“I really, _really_ hate it when you get all logical on me,” Carly grumbled.

o.O.o

Ella found that keeping her temper under control was proving to be progressively more difficult as the hours passed. She was on edge, lacking sleep, and unbelievably cold. Not wanting a repeat of the day before, she went on a long run around the town. The hotel they were staying in offered a very poor excuse for a gym, and Ella was always one to prefer the outdoors. She also hoped that the exercise would help warm her up.

Two hours later, Ella was certain that she knew exactly how a dog felt after it had been given a bath; she was wet, cold, and shaking so hard her teeth were chattering. Upon returning to her room, she found a note that Daniel and Carly had left for her. The note read that they had both gone to do some sightseeing and would be back in time for the meeting. Relieved that she would have several hours to herself, Ella stripped and walked to the shower. Turning the hot water almost all the way, she stood under the scorching stream and broke down in tears.

Ella had no idea what was wrong with her. Her own body—her main weapon—was betraying her. Her emotions were haywire, and she wasn’t sure that she knew up from down anymore.

Angry at herself at the pity-party-for-one in the shower, she put on a pair of warm sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt and climbed into bed. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Within minutes of closing her eyes, her body went slack, and she found herself once again in the land of dreams.

Invisible doors, howling ghosts, and an intense chillness greeted her. The golden-haired man that had been making appearances in her dreams for months was now absent from them.

o.O.o

Carlisle never thought that he would ever feel cold in his vampire life. It had been over three and a half centuries since his heart had beaten its last beat; since then, he had not been bothered by temperature. He was able to sense the difference, but it had never bothered him. As a vampire, Carlisle felt at ease in any weather. He could stand stark naked in the middle of a snowy winter in Alaska and not feel cold. He could wear a parka in the middle of the Sahara desert and be perfectly at ease. This new sensation of complete and utter lack of warmth was so foreign to him that he thought his mind had finally cracked.

He was mid-hunt when he felt himself grow impossibly cold, and it took him several hours of borderline panic before he understood that the sensation had nothing to do with the outside temperature. He was cold on the _inside_. It was beyond the simple physical sensation of his skin. The sensation was physiological.

Carlisle cursed, calling himself a love-sick fool, but he couldn’t avoid the thought that it was his inner demon that was missing its mate. A more optimistic creature might have said that it was his soul that was calling out for its other half, but Carlisle did not believe that his soul had survived the transformation. He was fully aware that his body housed a demon, a vicious beast that was capable of horrific violence and which lacked conscience. He believed that the venom did not erase all of the traces of his humanity during his change, that the human in him was the only thing preventing him from turning into a monster.

In his years as a nomad and with the Volturi, Carlisle had witnessed more than once what a true monster was like. He had seen vampires that had nothing human left in them, and it had strengthened his belief that his kind truly lacked souls. Meeting with Alice and Jasper had showed him that there were others walking this earth that had more traces of their humanity left in them, but it did not change his beliefs. Having seen the horrors that their kind was capable of during his first decades as a vampire, Jasper shared Carlisle’s view on souls. While all three of them were aware of the monstrosities humans were capable of unleashing on one another, Jasper—more than anyone—had seen that vampires could—and _did_ —top it time and time again.

o.O.o

Jasper watched with growing concern as Carlisle drove away to yet another shift at the hospital.

Alice leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. “I’m worried, Jasper.”

She was also hurting, Jasper knew, and it was killing him that he could do nothing to change that. “I know, Alinka.” He sighed.

“He’s getting worse.”

“Yes.” He hated to admit that, but Carlisle’s emotional state had taken a drastic turn for the worse since Spring Break had begun.

“I wish we could do something.” Alice cuddled deeper into his embrace. “I’m afraid we are losing him, Jasper.”

“I won’t let that happen,” he promised.

Alice looked up at him and smiled gently. “I love you.”

“Te amo, mi cariño,” he whispered as he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss.

She answered his kiss with hungry passion, happy to let him distract her form her worries.

o.O.o

Carly and Daniel had spent the entire morning simply walking through the city of Heidelberg, enjoying the historic town-center and going up to the old castle.

Carly had enjoyed the shopping, and Daniel had loved the plethora of information offered by the street signs scattered around and the beauty of the old architecture. Feeling like a true tourist, Carly had brought a camera, and she’d taken countless pictures until she had finished three rolls of film. She felt that she had captured several good photos of Daniel, and she couldn’t wait for the pictures to be developed. The rolls were safely stored in her bag, to be dropped off at the lab when they got back to Forks.

Once they got back to the hotel, Carly went to check up on Ella. She found the Slayer sleeping.

Ella was curled into a ball in the middle of the bed, shivering violently.

Carly spread a second blanket over her and walked out of the bedroom as quietly as she could.

“How is she?” Daniel asked.

“She’s still shivering.” Carly sat next to him on the couch. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I don’t know what is wrong with her.”

“I think it is possible that she is simply sick,” he suggested, even though he did not believe it himself. He hated seeing the worried and scared expression on Carly’s face.

“Liar.” The word held no anger. “She has been like this ever since she found that weapon.”

“I have researched it, Carly. I can also feel it, and it is dormant.” He gently rubbed her back in soothing circles. “Everything that I could find about this weapon says that it stays that way until the heart is united with it and the sacrifice is made.”

“But what if this _is_ the sacrifice?” Carly whispered, tears forming in her eyes. “What if it is sucking the life out of her every single moment?”

“Carly, look at me.” He gently placed his hand under her chin and waited until she met his eyes. “Ever since she held the weapon, she has gotten stronger, not weaker.”

Carly looked into his blue eyes and saw the concern reflecting there. He had never looked at her with so much emotion before, and she found that she liked seeing the softness in his expression.

“I believe that this is something else,” he said. “I can’t put my finger on it, but I promise to do everything I can to help her. I care about your sister just as much as you do.”

“I know.”

“Good.” He moved his hand from her chin to cup her cheek.

Carly was hypnotized by the softness of his skin and the sweetness of his scent. She was surprised to find his eyes suddenly so close, his cerulean gaze suddenly focused on her. She gave a small smile, and just before closing her eyes, she noticed his lips parting slightly in a smile of his own.

Daniel’s heart soared when he saw her smiling. He had hesitated up until that point, calling himself an old fool and trying to force himself to stop, to pull away. Her smile changed that. Her acceptance had been all the encouragement he needed to close the distance between them and capture her lips in a kiss.

He angled his head to the right, placing soft kisses on her mouth and sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. He slid his hand to hold her head, his fingers threading themselves into her long hair. He groaned when she opened her mouth to him. He did not hesitate to taste her more fully, to explore her mouth with his tongue.

Daniel pulled her closer, his arm wrapping around her waist, and Carly moaned at the sensation of his body pressed against hers. She could not find a name for the way his mouth tasted, but it was intoxicating, and she never wanted to stop kissing him.

o.O.o

Ella woke up only slightly warmer, but she could still feel the chill down to her bones. She had to wait several minutes for her heartbeat to slow down enough to hear anything above the roar of the blood in her veins. The nightmares were somehow getting worse.

She could hear the heartbeats of two other people in the next room, but she heard no words spoken. There was a rustle of fabric and what sounded like a soft groan coming from there, and Ella felt puzzled for a moment before realization hit her. Crawling out of bed, she walked across the carpeted floor to peek into the living room.

She was both happy and devastated at the sight before her. Carly was lying on her back on the couch, with Daniel lying on top of her. The couple was in the middle of what looked to Ella like a serious make-out session. They were still fully dressed, much to her relief. She looked away a few moments later. The pain that watching them was causing her became too hard for her to bear.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	17. Labyrinth

**Chapter Seventeen – Labyrinth**

Daniel smiled against Carly’s lips when he felt her hold on him tighten. He never imagined that he would get this kind of response from her, but he had never been happier to be proven wrong in his life. Gently, he began to slow down the pace of the kiss and eased up on the passion behind it.

With one last kiss on her lips, he lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at her.

Carly didn’t want to open her eyes, afraid to break the spell that had taken over. However, when she looked up and saw Daniel’s blue eyes shining, she knew that the spell wouldn’t be broken.

“You are devastatingly beautiful,” he murmured.

She giggled. “Devastatingly?”

“Well, I would be a fool not to acknowledge the inner strength in you, _cara._ ”

“How many languages _do_ you speak?” Carly cocked her head to the side in wonder.

“Quite a few.” Daniel smiled. He leaned down to place another gentle kiss on her lips.

Carly smiled against his lips, but the smile turned into a pout when he pulled away much too soon for her liking.

“I hear the shower running,” he said by way of explaining.

She sighed. “I guess the evil never rests.”

He pulled back to a sitting position and raised a brow. “I meant that Ella is probably up.”

Carly gave him a mischievous smile but didn’t say anything.

Shaking his head, Daniel offered her his hand to help her up off the couch. “Don’t hold it against her, _cara_. Be the better person.”

“Oh, I already am,” she teased, taking his hand.

o.O.o

Ella decided not to mention anything about the change in Carly and Daniel’s relationship. She could see that Daniel would treat her sister right. She also knew that he was well aware of her ability to kick his ass three times around the world, so she knew he would think twice before doing something that would hurt Carly.

They were not openly affectionate toward each other, Ella noted to herself with some degree of relief. However, she did not miss the way Daniel’s features softened each time he glanced at Carly, or the way Carly slightly blushed whenever she was caught staring at him. She tried to ignore it, but it still cut her deep that she had no one with whom to share something like that. She was the Slayer, doomed to live alone and die young.

Brushing away her thoughts, Ella watched the nearly-empty grounds surrounding Lorsch Abbey. There were two cars parked to the west of the entrance, and she could see and hear five people sitting inside the cars. As they drove and parked next to them, she could see Elizabeth’s familiar form exiting one of the cars. From the other car exited three men—the same three that she had “met” in the cemetery last night—and an elderly woman, who was supporting herself with a cane.

“Thank you for coming here,” Elizabeth said with a nervous smile. She could see the stubborn set of Ella’s jaw and suspected that this was a sign of her being in a foul mood. Having a very vivid recollection of Ella’s easy way of disarming her, Elizabeth was not in a hurry to upset the Slayer. “This is my uncle, Johann Almond, my cousins, Martin and Lars, and my great-aunt, Adele.”

Ella responded with a curt not, hiding a smile at the somewhat apprehensive looks on the men’s faces. They had obviously remembered their last encounter, she thought with satisfaction. All three men were tall, and they were all dark in their coloring. Brown hair, brown eyes, and all three of them had fairly wide shoulders. She could also see the similarities between them. They were stronger between Adele and the men, but there was something in the shape of the eyes that transcended to Elizabeth as well.

The most interesting person of the group, in Ella’s eyes, was Adele. Her hair was almost completely white, and she wore it in a short cut that framed a surprisingly almost wrinkle-free face. Ella couldn’t quite place her in terms of age. In the black, elegant skirt suit she wore, Adele had an aura of authority about her that Ella was curious about.

Daniel shook hands with all four of them, and Carly settled for a quick, “Hi, everyone.”

“We have requested your presence tonight to perform a test—” Johann began, but he was quickly cut off by Adele.

“Oh, shush, Johann. You didn’t ask; you demanded.”

Carly giggled at the dismissal.

“Yes, mother.”

“I apologize for the way you have been summoned here.” Adele glared at her son and grandsons, causing them to discover a new interest in their shoes.

Ella felt another smile tug at her lips.

“I have much to tell you, but before I go into long speeches, I suggest that we get inside the abbey and out of this cold weather,” Adele said.

“Lead the way,” Daniel said.

The group followed Adele around the main entrance to a side door. Johann took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the heavy door to let them in.

The room was a small space that might have been used by the priest in past times, but it was now empty and probably used as one of the offices of the museum. Elizabeth quickly went about turning on the lights while Johann and Lars helped Adele to a sit before standing behind her. Martin slumped into the chair next to Adele, earning himself a glare from Elizabeth before she sat next to him.

Carly chose to sit opposite of Adele, and Daniel sat next to her. Ella preferred to stand.

“Many generations ago, the last priest of the Keepers’ order entrusted our family to keep an artifact hidden,” Adele began. “The artifact on its own would be useless, for there is a second piece that must be found and attached before the true power can be unleashed.”

Ella had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. _Priests, artifacts, power...haven’t heard_ that _before._

“The location has been passed from mother to daughter and from father to son in the family, each generation picking a ruling council to attend to the matters of the legend.” Adele paused and gestured at the family members surrounding her. “In this generation, we are the members of the council.”

Daniel was not surprised at the small amount of people on board the council. Keeping a secret was easier the fewer the people that knew it.

“Geez, another council,” Carly murmured under her breath, causing Ella to chuckle, and then groaned when she realized that her sister could hear her.

Everyone turned to look at Ella, but she kept her expression smooth, almost daring them to say something.

“The family is well aware of the true nature of the Watchers’ Council, and there have been numerous attempts in the past two hundred years on their part to uncover the true identity of the Keepers of the Heart. Such attempts have increased in the past twenty or so years.”

“Why?” Carly found herself asking.

Adele smiled. “A prophecy.”

“Of course, should have known a prophecy would be involved.” Carly sighed.

“What does it say?” Ella asked.

“The exact text is unfortunately found only in the hands of the Watchers’ Council,” Adele said. “From what our family had been able to gather, the prophecy speaks of a very strong heir to the Belmont bloodline. The heir would be born pure-blooded and would surpass its ancestors in every aspect. It is said that he or she would activate the weapon and restore balance again.”

“In other words, a load of crap,” Ella said in an even tone.

“Ella!” Daniel hissed.

Carly turned to glare at her.

Adele chuckled. “I understand your frustration, young one. Your father had no patience for prophecies, either.”

Ella froze. “My father?”

“Yes.” Adele nodded. “I had the honor of knowing your father. He lived with my family for several years before he met your mother. I promise to share whatever little I know about them later, but right now there is a matter that we need to deal with first.”

“I will hold you to it,” Ella said quietly.

“I am certain you will.” Adele gestured to Johann and murmured something in German to him.

He nodded and produced an envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket, handing it to her.

“Inside this envelope, there is a map that will lead you to the artifact that you seek. However, this map will be useless to anyone who is not the true heir.” Adele didn’t wait for anyone to ask why before explaining. “The entrance to the labyrinth is said to be invisible to those who are not worthy of the power.”

“So how would one prove oneself worthy?” Daniel asked.

Adele gave him a small smile. “They find the entrance.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Ella said. “Since I’m today’s special on the guinea pig menu, let’s get this show on the road.”

Carly giggled, quickly placing a hand over her mouth.

Daniel hid his smile and gave Carly’s hand a gentle squeeze.

Lars and Martin looked at each other and then at Ella before bursting into a fit of laughter as well.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her cousins. She was fairly certain that they would be talking about how awesome Ella was for the next several weeks. They just loved anyone who had a good comeback, and if it was a girl, even better. _Add to that the fact that she kicked their asses without breaking a sweat, and you have the ultimate role model for those two._

Adele smiled as she watched Johann scowl at his sons. “The entrance is located at the old part of this abbey. We will lead you in the general direction. Once you find the entrance, the map is yours.”

“Lead the way.” Ella was itching for something to do. She had had enough of this place. She wanted nothing more than to go back home to her bed, where she could—hopefully—get a good night’s sleep at last.

o.O.o

It did not take long for the small group of people to cross the modern additions to the abbey and reach the Gruftkirche, the church’s crypt. It was a fairly large space, with thick stone walls that bore the mark of their years.

Looking around, Carly and Daniel could see nothing unusual about the walls. Lars and Martin had been there many times in previous years and found nothing of interest. They only came inside because their father glared at them when they hesitated at the entrance.

Lars wanted them to be over with this crap already so he could go play on his game console. Martin was bored to death and was currently contemplating which was worse: the nightly tour to the creepy crypt or his math homework. He was leaning toward the math, though not by much.

Adele watched with just a hint of excitement as Ella went into the crypt and walked straight to one of the walls. It was obvious that she did, indeed, see something.

Daniel and Carly were also watching the Slayer, curious to know what she was seeing, as nothing stood out as abnormal in their eyes.

When Ella entered the room, she could see nothing unusual about it. There were no doors but the one they’d used to enter, no big sign saying, “Secret Entrance,” with a blinking neon arrow pointing her in the right direction...so she chose randomly. Placing her hand on the cool rock, Ella suddenly felt warmth beneath her fingers. It almost felt like she could sense the remnants of magic in the stone.

She traced the warmth of the stones across the walls of the crypt, absentmindedly noting that the shape formed was that of a cross. As soon as her hand completed the third cross on the wall, the stones suddenly began to move.

“Diagon Alley much?” Carly murmured, staring at the opening forming right before her eyes.

“Dragon Alley?” Daniel asked.

“There is no such thing as dragons.” Johann huffed in annoyance.

Carly rolled her eyes and ignored the grumpy man. “It’s a book reference,” she explained to Daniel. “I’ll show it to you when we get back home.”

“Fair enough,” Daniel agreed. “I do believe that we have our missing entrance.”

“Yes, you do.” Adele nodded in appreciation. “Here is the map for you, Ella.”

Ella took the envelope from the older woman and pulled the map from it. The paper was surprisingly crisp, and she realized that this was a printed copy of the map, with some remarks added in handwriting.

“The original map was in Latin,” Johann said. “It was very fragile, so the family had it copied and translated to German. I understand from Elizabeth that you have a German-speaking person in your party, so you should not have any trouble continuing on from here on your own.”

Ella raised her brow at the man. He was getting on her nerves. Fast.

Seeing that the situation was about to become explosive, Daniel decided that he should try to defuse it. He approached Ella and reached for the map. A few moments of inspection later, he realized that he wouldn’t be of much help. The German was in a dialect he did not speak. He could only translate about half of what was written there.

 _Give me a test in ancient Aramaic, and I’m good. I could handle Italian, Russian, and Hebrew on any day, as well. Ancient German? Not so much._ He sighed inwardly. He’d had the mindset to start learning German only much later in his years, so while he could handle himself in a conversation with the librarian and concierge, this was way over his head.

Ella saw the slight slump in Daniel’s shoulders and heard him sigh. “Elizabeth,” she turned to the woman, “it looks like we are going to be in need of your services again.”

Elizabeth nearly jumped when Ella called her name. “M—me?”

“Yes.” Ella nodded. “You had the guts to pull a gun on me, even though you were scared shitless. I think you’re the right person to come with us.”

Elizabeth looked perplexed for a moment, unsure how to take this somewhat awkward way of Ella complimenting her. She glanced at her family and saw that her uncle did not like this idea one bit, his scowl deepening with each passing moment. Her cousins looked at her with envy. They had obviously taken a liking to the young Slayer and were envious of the invitation. Finally, Elizabeth looked at Adele. She was the unofficial head of the Almond Council. Though through the centuries, the role had been held by the eldest male. In this generation, Adele was the one Elizabeth looked up to when it was time to make the hard decisions.

Adele smiled at her great-niece. This was Elizabeth’s moment to shine, and her old heart warmed at the fact that it had finally arrived. Elizabeth had been living under her uncle’s and cousins’ shadows for much too long.

“I believe you are making a wise choice, Ella,” Adele said, but her eyes never left Elizabeth’s. “Elizabeth possesses great skill, which will benefit you on your journey.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Almond.” Ella was surprised at the approval of the Almond matriarch, but she was not about to question it.

“Please, call me Adele.” She smiled.

“Adele,” Ella echoed. “So, Elizabeth, ready for some adventure?” She could hear Johann’s not-so-quiet grumble of objections, but she knew that he would not go against his mother’s wishes.

Elizabeth took a deep breath to try to calm her racing heart and nodded.

“Very well.” Adele nodded in approval. “Now that you are ready, we will leave you to it.”

Lars and Martin turned to look at her in disappointment. They were hoping that they’d be at least allowed to follow with the rest of the family and watch the Slayer in action.

“This is your path to walk, young Ella, and I wish you the best of luck.”

For the first time in months, Ella felt some of the warmth return to her body as she looked at Adele’s soft eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured in a very quiet tone, slightly embarrassed by her strong reaction.

“We will wait for you at the exit,” Adele said.

Lars and Martin glanced at each other for a moment, silently agreeing that this was the best thing they had ever seen or done, including that one time when they’d sneaked into a strip club. They didn’t want to leave.

Elizabeth took several deep breaths as she watched her family members walk out of the room. She knew where the exit was, and she was certain that Ella had the ability to get them there, but she couldn’t help feel fearful. The stories she had heard about this labyrinth were not pleasant. It was her time to prove herself, though. It was her chance to show her family—and more importantly, to show herself—that she was more than a skittish student.

Ella didn’t glance back to see if anyone was following her as she stepped through the opening in the wall and into the darkness of the labyrinth. Elizabeth wondered if she should say something when Carly piped up.

“Ella, for those of us who are not the motherfucking Slayer, how about some light?”

Elizabeth stared at Carly in shock, partly admiring her bravery and partly thinking that the girl was not all there if she was willing to antagonize someone as strong as Ella.

Ella paused and turned to look at Carly with a sigh. “I don’t need a flashlight, so I didn’t bring one.”

“I admit I did not think of bringing one myself.” Daniel looked sheepishly at Carly.

“Can I take a look at the map?” Elizabeth asked.

“Sure.” Daniel handed her the map. “I think I have one in the car...”

“I think we’ll need more than one for all three of us,” Carly said. “I almost wish I was a smoker just to have a lighter on me.”

“And what good would that do?” Ella asked. “You don’t have a torch here to light, and I don’t think that a lighter would last long.”

“Um...guys?” Elizabeth said.

“You have a point there.” Carly sighed. “I guess we would need to go back to the car. One is better than nothing.”

“I can run there,” Daniel offered. “It will be quicker.”

“Are you saying I’m slow?” Carly glared at him.

“Guys?” Elizabeth tried again.

Ella watched Daniel and Carly with amusement.

“No, I didn’t say you were slow,” he said.

“Then what _were_ you saying?” Carly challenged.

“I was...I...just—”

“Hey, GUYS!” Elizabeth yelled, cutting Daniel’s stammering. “There’s no need to go back to the car.”

“Why not?” Carly turned to look at her.

Elizabeth walked to the right side of the entrance and probed the cold stones until she found the hidden leverage that the map indicated would be there. After pulling it, there was some groaning of the old mechanism. A moment later, torches sprang forth from both sides of the wall, lighting in fire as soon as they were fully out of their hidden sheathes. “Let there be light?”

Carly giggled at Elizabeth’s comment. “I like her. She’s a keeper.”

“Da buet svet, skazal electric i pererezal proboda,” Daniel murmured to himself.

“Yea, I’m also pro-Vodka.” Carly nodded.

Daniel shook his head, chuckling.

“How does electricity and vodka combine together?” Elizabeth asked.

Ella rolled her eyes. “Are we going in or are we going to stand here much longer? I’m definitely going to need some of that vodka soon, Daniel.”

Daniel snorted. “It has nothing to do with vodka!” he protested, his shoulders shaking from laughter. “It translates to ‘Let there be light,’ said the electrician and cut the wires.’ And you are underage, young lady.” He did his best to give her a reproving glare, failing miserably as he continued to chuckle. “No vodka for you!”

“Well, technically if she’s over eighteen...” Elizabeth smiled when Carly burst into another fit of giggles.

Ella shook her head and felt a smile stretch across her lips. Trust it to Carly to make her smile, she thought. “Come on, Team Vodka, let’s kick this labyrinth’s ass.”

“I don’t think labyrinths have asses,” Carly commented, “but I wouldn’t mind seeing you kick it if this one has one.”

“You guys are seriously starting to scare me,” Elizabeth said, walking next to Carly as they stepped into the labyrinth again.

“We’re only starting?” Ella turned to look at her. “I must be getting rusty with age.” She winked at Elizabeth.

“Sure, sure, Grandma...” Elizabeth smiled.

Ella suddenly giggled. “I agree, Carly. She’s definitely a keeper.”

o.O.o

Despite the somewhat juvenile beginning to their journey through the labyrinth, they soon grew serious as the eerie atmosphere of the old structure surrounded them. The light was barely bright enough to see the map and a few feet ahead. Their footsteps echoed ominously, and each could have sworn they could hear something other than themselves in the labyrinth with them, as if someone were watching them.

Ella shivered when they suddenly found themselves in front of a spiral staircase. It was too dark to see where the staircase ended, even for her.

As they began walking down, Ella heard a soft moaning sound that did not come from any of the people behind her. It was as though there were something in the walls themselves that was making that sound. A chill ran down her spine, and she cursed herself for being such a coward when she heard her heart begin to race.

They all jumped when suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a dog’s bark was heard.

“Okay, someone _please_ tell me that I wasn’t the only one who heard that dog.” Carly shivered, grabbing onto Daniel’s arm.

“I heard it too,” he murmured quietly, holding her closer to his body. “I’m sure that this is nothing more than an echo from the outside.”

Ella was not certain at all, but she chose to remain silent. She could easily hear Carly’s heart racing and her shallow breaths. Elizabeth was having a similar reaction. Only Daniel was somewhat more collected. She paced her breathing to his in an attempt to keep herself from succumbing to her rising fear. She thought that it was foolish to be fearful of the darkness and the strange noises she could hear, sounds that were too shallow for anyone else to pick up, but it was all she could do to keep the terror at bay.

Elizabeth’s thoughts raced almost as fast as her heart. She didn’t want to believe that it could be true, but having grown up in the area, having heard the legends, she had a growing suspicion that she knew exactly who had made the barking sound.

It took ten long minutes more for them to finally reach solid ground, and all four were happy to see that the torches seemed to be more closely grouped at this level. The tunnel seemed to narrow, though, and now they had to walk one after the other, Ella taking the lead.

Carly held onto Daniel’s hand tightly as she walked behind him. She hated how this place made her feel small and insignificant. Ever since she had lost her parents all those years ago, she swore that she would do everything she could to become strong enough to never feel small again. Being with Ella had showed her that strength could come in many forms, even tiny ones, and even when they required external help, like a bat. The thought of the bat made her smile again as she remembered the shocked expression on Ella’s face when it had hit her. Carly might not be the Slayer, but she was no piece of chopped liver, either.

She still was unsure of what was going on between her and Daniel. A part of her feared that she was relying on him too much, that the way she was holding on to him in this dark tunnel was indicative of her weakness. However, another part of her—a part that suspiciously sounded like Ella—told her that true strength was not only about standing up for yourself but also about knowing when to lean on others to assist you. She only wished that Ella would start heeding her own advice soon—she could see that her sister was going through something painful, and she wanted to be there for Ella as much as Ella had been there for her.

o.O.o

As the tunnels twisted and curved, they ran across many forks in their path. Whenever there was such branching, Ella would pause a little after the opening and wait for Elizabeth’s instructions. There was more barking, and it never stopped surprising them, but Ella was attuned to the quiet whooshing of the wind that she could hear. She could not feel any breeze, though, and that had her more worried than any invisible dogs.

“After this turn, we should be in the central room where the piece is hidden,” Elizabeth said, pointing to a left turn made by the tunnel.

Ella nodded and proceeded to turn left, again taking the lead.

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when the tunnel reached a round room that was well lit. It was three times as wide as the tunnel, and when she looked up, she could see that it easily reached the top. There were windows at the higher parts of the tower-like room, and she could smell the scent of soil and rain. The room itself was empty sans a stone bench in the middle of it.

“Do you have the weapon with you?” Elizabeth asked, suddenly realizing that the Slayer carried no bag.

“I do,” Ella said without turning. She was focused on examining the room around her, making sure she did not miss anything.

Elizabeth looked at Ella with doubt. The young girl wore open, high-heeled sandals, and Elizabeth had no idea how she found them comfortable. Her legs were bare until they met a black leather skirt just above her knees that was almost like a second skin. Her top was a simple white button up that was just as tight fitting as the skirt with an open jacket over it. Elizabeth tried, but she could not hazard a guess as to where the weapon might be hidden, unless it was not on Ella’s person.

“Well, it’s time to take it out,” Elizabeth said. “The second piece is right there under the bench.”

Ella walked to the stone bench and examined it carefully.

“I think you’re supposed to just push it,” Carly said.

“What does the map say?” Daniel asked Elizabeth.

“Nothing.” Elizabeth smiled sheepishly. “It just places a big X on the bench.”

“Well, I wanted an X-marks-the-spot,” Ella murmured. “I guess I’ll go with your suggestion, Carly.”

A moment later, the room was filled with a sudden screech of stone grinding against stone, making Carly, Daniel, and Elizabeth press their hands against their ears.

“Sorry about that.” Ella bent down to retrieve a small package that was wrapped in cloth. As she unwrapped it, the others approached her. “Here,” she handed the package to Carly, “take this.”

Elizabeth tried not to stare as Ella reached under her skirt and pulled out the weapon. She didn’t realize she was gaping until Carly giggled and said, “You should see how many stakes she has on her right now.”

“I don’t want to know.” Elizabeth blushed as thoughts of where Ella could possibly be hiding the stakes involuntarily filtered into her mind. She was momentarily captivated by the sight of the weapon. She had seen illustrations and read descriptions, but nothing came close to actually seeing the legendary artifact with her own eyes. It was cast into the shame of a holy cross, about a foot long and six inches wide. The gray, polished steel almost shined under the torch light. There seemed to be engravings and jewels inlaid in the metal, but they seemed to be colorless, almost transparent.

“Okay, how about we try to put these two together?” Ella suggested. “Unless, of course, we want to continue discussing my methods of arming myself.”

Daniel chuckled. “Let’s put these two together.”

Carly gently took out the long, semi-circular rod from the package and handed it to Ella to slide into the coordinate compartment in the Vampire Killer. Once the rod was properly positioned, a gentle twist of the cross’ handle locked it into place.

“Cool,” Carly murmured as she touched the hilt. She murmured something to herself that was too quiet for anyone but Ella to hear.

“What do you see there?” Ella asked.

“There’s something written here,” Carly answered. She looked at the words and tried to pronounce them quietly. “ _Nimm dieses Blut. Akzeptiere diese Seele, als Wache. Befreie die Macht des neuen Wächters.“_

“What?” Daniel asked, reaching for the weapon himself.

Carly began to speak louder. “Nimm dieses Blut. Akzeptiere diese Seele, als Wache—”

“NO!” Elizabeth screamed, cutting Carly off. She reached with one hand to grab onto Carly and with the other to grab the weapon, aiming to separate them.

It was too late. The words were spoken; the sacrifice had been offered and accepted.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	18. Drained

**Chapter Eighteen – Drained**

Esme watched with great pleasure as her new second-in-command hunted. She loved the way the phrase “second in command” sounded in her mind. It was so official, so...organized. It had been just over six months since she had changed him, and things were going so much better than she had anticipated that she felt like singing. As it were, she was purring in contentment as she sunk her teeth in the neck of her meal, her eyes still watching the beauty that was Adrian feeding.

They had had far greater success than she’d ever allowed herself to imagine. Adrian had turned out to be a very gifted commander, and he was so deliciously devoted. They had traveled from state to state in search of clues to the whereabouts of Carlisle Cullen, and Adrian’s latest discovery filled her with optimism. Apparently, her little newborn was not only gifted in using his cock to satisfy her; he had also proven useful by gaining self-control faster than any newborn she had ever seen before.

Dropping her meal into a dumpster, Esme waited until Adrian was finished before she ordered him to worship her on his knees. Adrian’s tongue skills were second only to his large cock in her book, and she just loved the sight of this great animal on his knees before her. It made her feel almost as good as when she fed.

“Adrian,” she purred once she saw that he was done with his human. “I want your mouth on my pussy. I miss fucking your tongue.”

Adrian had to hold back from rolling his eyes. She gave excellent head as rewards, but sometimes he wondered if it was worth tolerating that mouth of hers. He had settled for going along with her plans simply because he had nothing better to do and because hunting down a powerful coven seemed like a nice challenge.

One of the skills that he found most useful in his stay with Mistress was definitely his ability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time. As he dropped to his knees and pulled her skirt up, he was already contemplating his next step in tracking down the Cullen coven she had told him so much about.

Esme moaned loudly, grabbing onto Adrian’s silky white-blond hair. She did not care who heard them. The alley was in the worst part of town. Sounds of sex were not strange to anyone passing by, and she was not about to restrict herself to accommodate the comfort of mere humans.

Fifteen minutes later—fifteen _very_ long minutes, in Adrian’s opinion—Esme had ridden out her third climax and decided that it was time for them to move on. As optimistic as she was about their chances of locating Carlisle, she decided that she would play it smart this time. She had learned a thing or two from their last confrontation.

She would wait, and she would plan. No more sloppy newborns that couldn’t tell their left from their right, she decided. With Adrian at her side, she should be able to build a much stronger army, and she would train them... Well, she would let Adrian do the dirty work, but she would get a skilled army out of that. She might even find herself some gifted soldiers. They would have to be just smart enough to do as she said; she didn’t want anyone too smart to think he could overthrow her.

She had had enough of men wronging her, and she was going to start showing them what Esméralda Annette de Platte was made of, and what you got when you tried to hurt her.

Esme’s eyes darkened as she recalled the way Carlisle Cullen had caused her banishment from the comforts of Volterra. He and his stupid blabbering mouth had gone straight to Aro to tattle about how she’d broken his poor little heart.

Adrian saw the change in Mistress’ posture and knew that it was time for him to take himself out of the picture for the next day or two. The last time he had seen her like that, she’d gone into a fit of rage and torn off one of his limbs. He was lucky that he was faster than her; he would have lost his favorite appendage if he hadn’t been, and he was quite partial to keeping his dick where it belonged. As it were, she had kept his arm for two weeks before returning it to him, and it had been painful as fuck to reattach it. He was not stupid enough to stick around for a repeat performance.

“I’m going to check out the lead, Mistress,” he said.

Esme waved him off. She didn’t want to kill off a vital part of her revenge plan, and if he had stuck around, she probably wouldn’t have settled for just taking a limb.

As Adrian disappeared in between the dirty alleyways of the city, Esme stared into space, her mind reciting some of her most painful memories.

_Esme was still giggling to herself as she walked to the gardens to search out Chelsea to tell her about how the virginal Carlisle Cullen had yet again managed to make a fool of himself. She couldn’t believe that he honestly thought she would marry him._

_Esme was slightly disappointed when Chelsea was nowhere to be seen, and she decided to seek her out. After all, this kind of news should not wait to be spread. She was slightly put out when the stupid human receptionist dared to speak to her. She had been talking to Pierre, asking him if he’d seen Chelsea, when the walking blood-bag interfered._

_If it weren’t for the fact that Instant-Meal told her that her presence was required at the throne room, Esme would probably have made a new mural on the wall behind the front desk._

_She had never been summoned to the three kings before, although not due to lack of trying. She was very excited, and she made a quick stop at her chambers for a change of clothes. She was aware that two of the three rulers were mated, but she did not see a mate as an obstacle. Esme was well acquainted with the benefits that came with being a mistress to powerful men._

_Feeling almost giddy, Esme walked through the heavy wooden doors to face the three rulers of the vampire world._

_Her good mood, however, disappeared almost instantly. She had barely taken more than one step into the room when she was grabbed from behind and forced to her knees. She did not see who was holding her down; her eyes, wide with confusion, were focused on the vampire standing before her. She had never seen so much emotion in his eyes before. She was not even aware that he was capable of feeling._

_“Esméralda Annette de Platte,” Aro said in an even tone, “you have been tried and found guilty of conspiracy to commit treason, of crimes against the unity of our coven, and of disrespect of an honorary member of the coven. For your crimes, you are sentenced to death.”_

_Horrified, Esme tried to come up with some kind of plea for mercy, but the cold smile that suddenly found its way to Marcus’ lips caused her mind to come to an abrupt halt._

_“You will be shown no mercy,” Marcus said. “Your death will be slow and painful.”_

_“But—” she tried to object, to say that she hadn’t committed any treason._

_“Silence, Wench!” Caius glared at her from his place on the throne. “You have shared your bed with the lowest of our kind, stooping down to spies and traitors. As such, you shall be treated like them.”_

_“I find little pleasure in life these days.” Marcus leaned down to her, lowering his voice to little over a whisper. “I will, however, take whatever pleasure I can find in giving you the punishment you deserve, whore.”_

_With those words spoken, Esme’s world went numb. She had no idea what to think of the situation she found herself in. There were no sounds, no smells, no images, and no textures. For the first time since she could remember, she felt absolutely numb. Panic began to rise within her. It would have choked her had she needed the oxygen. She wondered if she was dead and this was the existence that was awaiting her. Then, an immeasurable amount of time later, all of her senses were abruptly returned to her._

_She found herself still being held by a guard. Marcus was still before her, but her surroundings were different. No longer was she in the three kings’ throne room, and no longer was she on her knees. She was undressed, though. She could smell the dampness of the earth around her and sense the cold temperature on her naked skin. She was in the castle’s dungeons. She had heard about their existence, of course, but never had she thought she would find herself there._

_Confined by the only thing that could hold back a vampire—another, stronger, male of the same species—Esme felt terrified to her core._

_She had been with countless partners, but each and every time she had been a willing participant. She did not remember a thing of her human life, but she had always had the strength to refuse as a vampire. No more. She was at his mercy to do with as he pleased, and she did not want to even contemplate what that might entail._

_Marcus smiled a bone-chilling smile. “Your fear is almost as rewarding as your screams of pain will be.”_

_And she did scream. She screamed in pain as he tore off her limbs, one joint at a time. She begged for mercy when he reattached them and they burned her with an acid-like sensation. He never violated her in the way that she had initially feared, but at some point she had begun to wonder if it might have been less painful if he’d chosen that method instead._

_“That is werewolf saliva,” Marcus explained calmly as he fused back her toes one at a time. “I must thank Caius for allowing me to use this. He had gone through great trouble acquiring it.”_

_Esme was no longer being held down; there was no need for it. She had lost too much of her venom and was in too much pain to be of any threat to the Volturi king. That did not mean she was left alone with him, though. Her humiliation was observed eagerly by several of the higher ranking guards._

_She lost track of the amount of time she had spent in that evil room. Marcus would disappear from time to time, giving her a break from the torment, but he always returned. The pain was a constant. At first, she was able to think around it, to string together the feeblest of escape plans. This was no longer the case._

_“There will be no escape but death,” Marcus told her once, and she had no reason to doubt him._

_She watched in terror as he burned her skin with a branding iron doused in werewolf saliva. She screamed until he cut her vocal cords, and she continued screaming in her mind as he once again pulled her body apart._

_She had not been fed in weeks, possibly more. The loss of venom and the constant pain had rendered her mind to an almost delusional state, when she suddenly felt something warm touch her lips. She let her tongue out to lick the sustenance and moaned when the taste of fresh blood almost overwhelmed her._

_Another drop was placed on her lips, and again she licked it with a moan. Another one..._

_Esme could feel the effect of the blood almost instantly. Her body grew stronger, and momentarily, so did the pain; but as she was given more, she felt the pain finally receding._

_“Bite,” a voice whispered in her ear._

_The voice was familiar, but she was too drained for her mind to be able to focus on its source before instinct took over. A meal was placed against her lips. Its heart was still beating, pumping the luscious nectar just under the thin veil of skin. She bit into it and drank thirstily._

Esme was pulled out of her memories when she smelled a human approaching. The thirst she had remembered rendered her previous hunt inconsequential in slaking her thirst, and Esme turned faster than the human could see. Her teeth bit through his skin and tore at his neck, her mouth pulling at the wound to drain him of his life source.

She drank, slightly frowning as she sensed that the blood was tainted with a bitterness she had learned to associate with drug-addicts. The meal drained, she threw it in the dumpster along with her previous prey. No meal had ever tasted quite as delicious as those first few drops of blood she had tasted when her rescuer had fed her. Then again, she had never been that thirsty since. After getting out of Volterra, she swore to herself that she would never again be in a position that would leave her so weak, and she swore for vengeance.

Now that her vengeance seemed closer than ever, Esme allowed herself to think about the day after the destruction of Carlisle Cullen. She had great plans after him, and she would go after the Volturi. Sebastian had helped her escape from the torture chamber, and she had...arranged...for him to take her place in the form of ashes on the torture table. She still smiled as she thought of his surprised face when she’d turned against him. He had been a foolish male who had thought he could control her himself once he had rescued her. Esme had proved him wrong.

She would never have a male dominate her again; she would never allow another creature to have reign over her.

o.O.o

Carlisle felt his agitation worsen with each passing day since Spring Break had begun. He knew that the separation from his mate was the main reason for it, but he was powerless to curb his emotions. He had tried to do so for the sake of Jasper, but his hunting trips had become longer and more frequent as of late. He found that his instincts—the same ones that had been tearing at him to go find his mate and consummate their bond—quieted down somewhat after a hunt. The release of his control over them had helped him keep them at bay while he was in the company of humans.

He found himself cursing his vampire brain during his long shifts at the hospital. He was able to concentrate on his patients and on the ache in his chest at the same time, so there was no distraction, no reprieve from the pain.

It was becoming harder and harder for him to keep up the façade. Carlisle’s body was at war with his mind, and it was only the centuries’ worth of self-control that allowed him to go on for as much as he had. He found himself crossing the border to Oregon more than once during his hunting trips, and the pull in his chest was ever present. His control was slipping, and he knew that it would not be long before he would snap.

Snapping in a hospital full of warm-blooded humans was not something he would ever be able to forgive himself for, so Carlisle decided that he would take some time off once Spring Break was over. The number of stupid teenagers getting themselves hurt in a variety of bizarre accidents should lessen by then, so the hospital should be able to allow him to take some days off.

“I think this is a good idea,” Alice said when he told them of his decision.

He gave her a wry smile. “Have you seen me draining the entire staff of the hospital already?”

“Not quite.” Alice did her best to smile and keep the lie away from her face.

Jasper, sensing her turmoil, wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the crown of her head, silently offering his support.

Carlisle shook his head, trying hard to keep his tone light as he said, “Well, then I better make sure that you don’t.” Watching the two of them together was making it almost impossible for him to keep the darkness in him at bay. “I think I’m going to go for a run. I’ll see you later.”

Alice and Jasper watched with sadness as Carlisle slipped out of the house and disappeared between the trees behind their home.

“You still don’t see anything of his future?” Jasper asked quietly.

Alice shook her head, her sadness seeping into her voice. “No. It’s like he disappears at the end of Spring Break.”

“There could be another reason, Alinka,” Jasper said, trying to comfort her.

“I know.” She leaned into his embrace. “I just wish I knew what that reason is. I refuse to think that he will be taken away from us. After you, he is the only family I have on this earth.”

Jasper wrapped his arms tighter around her, sending her all of his love and understanding. He knew that he had no words to say that could offer true comfort, but he had to try. “Whatever is coming, I’m here. We will face it head on, and I promise you that I will do everything within my power to save him for you.”

“I know,” she murmured quietly. She didn’t thank him, knowing that he could feel her gratitude without her words.

o.O.o

Carlisle let his feet lead the way. He knew that he would be running east, but he could not find it in himself to care. At least for a few hours, he would let his beast lead him in the direction that both he and it wanted to go. He hunted sparsely, not needing more as it had not been even twenty-four hours since his last feeding. Mostly, he ran. He only had enough sense in his mind to keep himself to the trees and away from populated areas. He did not care much about anything else.

He had just noted to himself that he should turn around if he wanted to make it back in time for his next shift at the hospital when a blinding pain caused him to falter in his movements and stumble to the ground. He was unable to stop the fall, as he no longer saw the wooded area around him. The trees disappeared and stone walls took their place. He could smell burning fabric and hear the wind swirling from somewhere above him. He felt cold metal in his hands, but when he cast his eyes down, there was nothing there but darkness.

He blinked once and found himself in the forest again, the blinding pain gone. The tug in his chest was still there, but it was growing weaker.

Fear seeped into every cell of his body, and he let out a tormented roar when the pull faded away. The next few seconds were an eternal hell for Carlisle. He was blind with a different kind of pain, one he had never felt before. Overcome by the worst rage he had ever felt in his long existence, he tore at the trees and animals around him. For as long as he existed, Carlisle knew that he would never forget those immeasurable moments when he experienced what it felt to exist without his mate.

He nearly sobbed when the pull in his chest renewed. He wept with relief. She was alive. For a wonderful yet torturous moment, he was granted another glance of the stone room with the smell of fire. He could still hear the wind in the background, but there was a new sound that was so prominent in his mind that it drowned everything beside it: the steady beat of a heart. _Her_ heart. He knew not how he was so certain that it was her he was hearing, but even as the vision dissipated once again, he knew that he had been gifted with a glimpse of her.

“Are you all right?” a male voice asked, pulling Carlisle from his musings.

He jumped back to his feet. “Yes.”

The vampire stood about a mile away from Carlisle, his blond hair looking almost white under the moonlight. He cocked his head to the side and looked at Carlisle with curiosity. “Your scent tells me you are of my kind, but your eyes are like none I have ever seen before.”

Carlisle sighed. He could see the bright crimson of this vampire’s eyes and knew that it must not have been long since he’d been changed. “My choice of diet differs from what most of our kind prefers,” he said. “That’s what makes my eyes this color.”

“Does it also make you prefer your knees to your feet?”

Carlisle growled. He was in no mood to be taunted. “Watch that tongue of yours, boy.”

“Why should I?” The vampire crouched slightly, his expression eager.

Carlisle did not bother with an answer. He gave the lean vampire no more warning as he unleashed his inner beast from its constrictions. He had been itching for a good fight.

However, this was far from being satisfying. In fact, it was far from being a fight. The young vampire stuck around only to receive a couple good blows and a bite from Carlisle before running away like a coward.

Carlisle spat the excess venom from his mouth onto the ground. He did not bother to give chase. It was not the first time he had come across cocky newborns that had no respect for their elders. He had no time to waste on educating him properly, and Carlisle thought that one lesson was better than none at all.

His inner beast felt somewhat annoyed at having been denied a good hunt of another kind, but the glimpse into the eyes of his mate seemed to have a placating effect on it. As Carlisle made his way back toward Forks, the newborn returned to the clearing and inhaled deeply. He waited for several minutes, allowing the yellow-eyed vampire to gain some distance before he began to follow his scent.

As he approached a wooded area that was almost saturated with this new scent, he knew that he had found what he was looking for.

_Carlisle Cullen, it looks like I have found your current residence after all._

o.O.o

Adrian did not remain in the area for long. He had no desire to be caught spying on the Cullens, and he had already obtained the information he needed. He found it almost too easy to track them down, and with orders not to kill him yet, Adrian found this mission to be boring.

He decided that he deserved at least some kind of reward for his trouble. Knowing that he would be getting none from Mistress when he returned—that vampire was seriously fucked up in the head, he thought—he made a detour before going back to Colorado.

He picked a bar on the outskirts of one of the towns on his way back, not caring enough to pay attention to the name of either the bar or the town. The music was much too loud for his taste, especially with the added sensitivity of his hearing, so he made his choice quickly—a petite brunette with large blue eyes. He had a flicker of something in the back of his mind telling him that this might not be the best idea, but he quickly discarded it.

He did not approach her. He merely smiled at her and waited for her to make the first move.

 _So gullible_ , he thought with glee.

“I’m Michelle,” she said as she slid onto the stool beside him. “You’ve been checking me out all night, stranger, but you wouldn’t approach me. Am I that threatening?” She stuck out her lips in what she considered a sexy pout and batted her eyelashes at him.

Adrian allowed a small smile to appear on his lips. “Ryan,” he introduced himself, using the shortened version of his name. “Maybe I enjoy looking at beautiful women.”

She slid her hand from the bar and let her fingers travel up his thigh. “So, you are one who likes to watch?”

His interest was piqued. “That depends on the show.” He leaned slightly toward her. “What did you have in mind?”

Michelle licked her lips. “My friend over there,” she gestured toward a man sitting on the other side of the bar, “and I love being watched. We never disappoint our audience, either. You might say that I am somewhat...insatiable.” She brought her hand further up his thigh and gave him a slight squeeze.

Adrian glanced at the male and decided that he would make a nice second course. “Does your friend mind sharing?” He lowered his voice into a sensual whisper. “I would hate to leave you unsatisfied.”

She nearly purred in delight. He listened to her heartbeat quicken and smelled the scent of her arousal intensify.

“Meet us around back in ten minutes,” she instructed and slid off her seat.

He nodded.

She leaned closer to him once she was standing and gave his crotch a light squeeze, whispering, “I can’t wait to see what this can do.”

Adrian growled as she walked away. He was already hard, anticipating both the sex and the meal that were to come. He watched as she went back to her _friend_ and leaned over to talk to him. He saw the smirk on the man’s face and felt his own return. The foolish human had no idea what was coming for him.

Ten minutes later, as promised, Adrian walked out to the alley behind the bar. He grinned when he saw that the woman was not exaggerating when she said that they loved to be watched. He noticed that as soon as his presence was registered in their minds, they both smiled and became more vocal. Her skirt was already hitched up around her waist. The man’s hand moved her thong to the side before he plunged two fingers inside her. His other hand was palming her breast, pulling the material down.

Adrian walked toward them, inhaling the scent of the woman’s arousal. It was almost as good a scent as her blood, and he knew that he would be tasting both very soon.

Once he was in front of the two, he wasted no time in pulling her shirt down and latching on to her breast that was not held by the man.

“Yes,” she mewled, “suck me.”

He chuckled, raising his head to look at her. He pinched her nipple, a bit harder than she was used to, and she hissed. He growled, enjoying the sound of her pain.

The man turned her then. “Suck _me_ ,” he ordered, using her words against her. “Take my cock into that pretty little mouth of yours and suck it like the good bitch that you are.”

Adrian crouched beside her, nibbling on her neck as she began to take the man’s dick in her mouth. “You like having a cock in your mouth, don’t you?” he whispered. “I wonder if you’d handle my cock in your mouth.”

She mumbled something around the guy’s flesh, but it was unintelligible.

Adrian straightened and reached to undo his belt. He pushed the fabric aside once he had his jeans open and nudged her cheek with his hard dick.

The man, Steve, smiled as he watched Michelle lick both of them intermittently, taking first one then the other deep down her throat. He turned to look at the man with the blond hair and dark eyes, checking him out. He was well built, and Steve wondered how adventurous this Ryan was.

Deciding that it was worth a shot to try, Steve placed his hand on Ryan’s chest and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

Adrian smirked. _So the human swings both ways._

Encouraged by the smile, Steve made quick work of Ryan’s shirt and began palming the man’s cold flesh. He frowned, worried that Ryan might be cold, but a moment later, his face was pulled upward and his mouth was taken captive by the other man’s.

Steve moaned, surprised that Ryan was kissing him and that it felt so good. Of course, having Michelle swallowing his dick, balls deep, might have had something to do with pushing him closer to an orgasm.

Michelle hummed in pleasure around Steve’s cock as she watched the men kiss. She was certain that she had never seen anything more erotic in her life.

Adrian moved to kiss the man’s neck, licking a path over the pulsing artery there. It would be so easy to bite into it right now, he thought, but he wanted to prolong the pleasure a little more. He had learned that human blood tasted that much better immediately after the human had climaxed, and he could tell that the man was nearing his release. Michelle definitely had skills in the oral department, he noted as she continued to use her hand on him, cupping his balls and giving them a squeeze.

Steve’s breathing hitched when Ryan nibbled on a particularly sensitive place on his neck. At the same time, Michelle deep throated him, her hand sliding to cup his balls, and he came with a guttural moan.

Adrian bit him at that very moment. The slight sting of pain was lost in the human’s mind, intermingling with the pleasure of the orgasm. Adrian supported him as he began to weaken. The man was too dazed from his pleasure when he began to drink from him, and soon he was too drowsy with the loss of blood to realize what was going on.

Michelle turned to Ryan, giving him more attention now that Steve was satisfied. She noted that Ryan was better endowed than Steve was, and she wondered if she could even fit him entirely in her mouth.

Once Steve’s heart stopped, he became dead weight. Adrian carefully let him slide back, as though he was simply slumping on the wall behind him, drained from his orgasm. Adrian smirked as he thought about the irony of the term. The man was definitely _drained_.

Licking the last few drops of blood from his lips, Adrian focused on the woman who was doing her best to fit him inside her mouth. The wet heat felt so good, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to fuck her, to bury his cock deep between her legs and feel that heat around him. He wanted to feel her heartbeat around him, feel her squeezing him as tightly as her feeble human muscles could as he brought her to an orgasm. And he wanted to feast on her blood as he released his dead seed inside her.

Michelle did not object when he pulled her up. Her jaw was getting tired from the activity. Ryan was by far the only male to ever hold back his orgasm for as long as he did while she sucked him off. She would have felt insulted had he not whispered, “Your mouth brings me so much pleasure that I can’t control myself any longer.”

Adrian knew exactly what to say to turn her pout into a smile, and he also knew that his words would make sure she focused on him and not object when he tore her underwear off. He didn’t bother removing her skirt. Just as the human man had done before, he simply let her skirt ride up to her waist.

Michelle hiked one leg around his waist, and when he cupped her ass, she wrapped the other one around him as well, locking her ankles behind his back.

He grinned when she cried out at his penetration. He wasn’t gentle, but she was ready enough to welcome him into her body, even with the slight discomfort at the beginning.

She soon forgot all about her discomfort when he angled his thrusts just right, his mouth latching on to her neck, sucking.

“Yes...Ryan...” she mewled as he rubbed her clit. “Fuck...me…YES!”

Adrian grinned. He loved a vocal woman. He also found himself enjoying this tryst. Michelle had great oral skills, he thought, but she also had great stamina for a human. He was pounding into her fairly roughly, and she took everything with moans and excitement.

He removed his hand from her clit and brought it around her to her ass. He was practically purring with delight when he felt her moisture coating his fingers, and when he pushed one finger into her ass while simultaneously thrusting inside her, she fell apart in his hands.

He bit into her neck a few seconds later, riding out the orgasm with her. He felt her body clasping him tightly, and he made a snap decision that he knew he might regret later. Instead of draining her completely, he stopped when her heart slowed.

Soon after his change, Esme had told him what would happen if he were to be careless and leave a meal unfinished. She had meant it as a warning, but now he used that knowledge to his advantage.

Michelle was not aware of what was happening until she suddenly felt fire spreading from her neck to the rest of her body. She tried to scream, tried to move, but her body was too weak. In one last moment of clarity, she understood that she was dying but thought that if she were ever given the choice, this was probably the best way to go.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	19. Sacrifice

**Chapter Nineteen - Sacrifice**

Ella felt as though she was watching things happen in slow motion. She couldn’t understand what Carly was mumbling; the words made no sense to her since knowing German was not one of her virtues. She did understand, however, that there was something very wrong with the words when Elizabeth screamed and reached for Carly. She noticed the alarm on Daniel’s face as well, and her last thought before everything disappeared was that things had gone wrong. Very, very wrong.

The next thing Ella saw was a forest, the ground there covered with leaves and soil. She could smell fresh air that was nothing like the stuffiness in the labyrinth, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had happened that had brought her to...wherever this wooded area was. She had barely finished that thought when her eyes unfocused again and the forest disappeared. It took her another moment before she realized that she was once again inside the stone structure of the labyrinth.

“Oh, thank goodness,” someone called from her left.

Ella tried to turn her head to see who was speaking, but the blinding pain that struck her when she did was too strong, and she closed her eyes with a groan.

“Ella?” This time the voice was closer, and Ella was able to put a name to it. Elizabeth. “She’s not responding, but I swear I saw her open her eyes.”

Ella cringed as Elizabeth’s voice grew louder. The pain in her head made her wonder if she had cracked her skull wide open. She had suffered concussions more than once before, so a part of her mind was able to surmise that she had probably been thrown to the ground with some measure of force, hitting her head hard against the stone floor.

“How’s Carly?” she heard Elizabeth ask.

“She’s still out,” Daniel answered.

Worry growing in her, Ella tried to push the pain aside so she could open her eyes again. Sitting up was next on her list, but she decided that it would have to wait until the world stopped spinning around. She felt someone—Elizabeth, if she were to trust her sense of smell—supporting her as she tried to gently lift her head.

“Fuck!” Elizabeth hissed.

“What is it?” Daniel asked.

“She’s bleeding.”

Ella groaned. _Terrific._

Elizabeth watched Ella, her fear nearly choking her. The Slayer was almost ghost white, and the blood wouldn’t stop flowing. She took the first piece of fabric she could think of—the rag in which the artifact had been wrapped—and pressed it against the wound. She winced when she saw Ella cringe again.

“I’m sorry,” Elizabeth murmured, “I’m trying to stop the bleeding.”

“I...know.”

The words were no more than a breath, and Elizabeth wasn’t sure she had heard right, but she dared not ask Ella to speak again. It was obvious that it was too hard for her at the moment, and anything above a whisper caused Ella pain.

“Daniel?” she whispered, hoping that he would hear her.

Daniel glanced up at her. He shook his head, indicating that there was still no change in Carly’s condition. He was cradling her in his arms, whispering in her ear, begging her to open her eyes for him. He could feel Carly’s heart beating strong, and he had checked for any injuries and found none. He was not sure what had happened; he understood that at least part of what the inscription entailed had been fulfilled. The sacrifice had been made. Even his basic German was sufficient for him to translate the words Carly had spoken: “Take this blood. Accept this soul.” He assumed that the rest of the sentence was somewhat along the lines of, “as sacrifice”.

He smelled Ella’s blood, and he hoped that her quick healing would kick in soon. The more blood she lost, the worse she would be, and the longer it would take for her to get back to her full health. However, selfishly, he was more worried about Carly. Ella had at least opened her eyes, but Carly was completely slack in his arms.

“Come back to me, _cara_ , please,” he whispered into her hair, pleading over and over again.

On the other side of the room, Elizabeth was still holding the rag to Ella’s head when she suddenly noticed something from the corner of her eye. She snapped her head to the side and saw that the weapon, which had fallen to the floor when everyone had collapsed, had begun to glow. It took her another moment before she saw the trail of dark red liquid that reached all the way to the weapon.

“Daniel,” she called as quietly as she could.

He looked at her, and she gestured at the weapon.

His eyes widened. “What the hell...?”

“I can’t let go,” Elizabeth said. “She’s still bleeding. Why won’t it stop?”

“I have no idea.” He glanced down at Carly. He wanted to be angry with her for acting so rashly, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to do it just yet. He was too worried about her to have any room for anger.

Elizabeth watched helplessly as the blood slowly engulfed the weapon, and the glow intensified. Once the weapon was completely covered in Ella’s blood, the glow began to fade. It took several more moments before the glow completely dissipated. Once gone, Carly stirred, giving the first indication that she was waking up.

“Oh, thank God,” Daniel sighed.

Ella opened her eyes again and gave Elizabeth a weird look. “Why is my head in your lap?”

Elizabeth blinked a few times, shocked at the normal tone of the Slayer.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t swing that way.” She grinned and sat up.

Elizabeth stared at her. “Aren’t you in pain?”

“Nope. All healed. Thanks for playing Nurse Nightingale for me.” Ella winked at the flustered Elizabeth. Turning more serious, she glanced at Daniel and Carly. “How is she?”

“The next time I think about reading old cryptic shit out loud, hit me, will ya?” Carly murmured, frowning as Daniel helped her up.

Ella laughed. “Well, I’ll keep it in mind. I still owe you one for the bat.”

Carly rolled her eyes at that. She performed a mental check of herself. Nothing seemed to be broken. Her rear end had suffered a bit of a blow, and her head was aching, but that seemed to be about it.

Ella hurried to pick up the Vampire Killer before anyone could stop her from doing so. She was surprised to note the pleasant feeling of having the weapon in her hands. It felt slightly warm to the touch, yet it no longer felt foreign in her hands. She instantly saw that the gems, which were colorless before, had a slightly pinkish tint to them, which disappeared before her very eyes. She made a mental note to mention it to the others later. Right now, there were more important issues to take care of.

“Are you sure you are okay?” Daniel asked Carly in a whisper.

Ella noticed Carly smiling up at him before nodding and melting into his hug, and she sighed. She hated to break them apart, but there was still work to be done before they could relax. “Elizabeth? Do you think you could try to translate the writings on the Vampire Killer?”

“And we should probably not read that aloud again,” Carly grumbled.

“I doubt it would have that effect again,” Daniel noted, smiling now that he was sure Carly was okay.

“Still,” she glared at him, “I don’t feel like spending another minute on this filthy ground.”

Elizabeth smiled at their banter. “I agree with Daniel, but just to be on the safe side...”

Ella showed Elizabeth the engravings on the weapon without releasing it. Something in her didn’t want to let it go.

Daniel and Carly came closer, still embracing each other, and Daniel leaned over to look at the words with Elizabeth.

_Nimm dieses Blut. Akzeptiere diese Seele, al_ _s Wache._

_Befreie die Macht des neuen Wächters._

Elizabeth cleared her throat before speaking. “The literal translation is, ‘Take this blood. Accept this soul as a guard. Release the power of the new Heart’s Keeper.”

“The new Heart’s Keeper?” Carly wondered. “I thought that was _your_ job,” she said to Elizabeth.

“I think that the responsibility has been transferred to us,” Daniel murmured.

“I think it would be best that we take this to my great-aunt,” Elizabeth said. “She knows more about this than I do and would probably be able to shed some light on it...whatever this is.”

“I agree,” said Daniel. “Let us get out of this damned place.”

Carly raised a brow at him. “He can curse. I’m impressed.”

Ella chuckled when she saw the slight pink shade covering Daniel’s cheeks. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

o.O.o

Elizabeth once again took the map and began planning their path out when there was a sudden whoosh of air and all of the torches extinguished.

“I don’t like this,” Carly murmured.

“Neither do I,” Ella replied. “Stay close together if you can.”

“Where are you going?” Elizabeth asked, her voice trembling.

Ella did not have a chance to answer. She only had enough time to yell, “Don’t move!” before they were no longer alone.

The demon that appeared in the hall was easily three times the height of a normal human. Its eyes were glowing a cold blue color, its irises cat-like. Standing on its hind legs, it growled, sending a shiver of fear through all of them.

Ella noticed that the demon seemed to be covered in dark fur, but despite the cat-like shape of its irises, it had a dog-shaped muzzle. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing rows of deadly-looking, sharp teeth.

Ella tightened her hold on the Vampire Killer. She wished it was one of the broadswords that she had left in Forks but decided that it was better than nothing and that she could use it as a blunt weapon.

The creature wasted no time in attacking her. It snapped its sharp teeth, missing her by mere inches. The teeth were followed by paws, with silver claws drawn out. Ella was able to deflect the blow, but one of the claws left a scratch that stung.

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Carly murmured when they heard a crash.

Daniel pulled her closer to him. He could see the demon’s glistening blue eyes and sharp, pale claws. He prayed that she could handle this creature, for he knew that the three of them were completely useless in the darkness.

Carly’s eyes slowly adjusted to the absence of light, but she wished they hadn’t the moment she saw what Ella was facing. It was huge and freaking creepy, and it was coming at Ella almost too fast for Carly to see the individual blows. She cringed when she heard Ella hiss in pain. She wanted to turn and bury her face in Daniel’s chest, get whatever comfort she could from him, but her eyes felt as if they were glued to the terrible blue eyes of the demon.

Ella bit down on her lip to avoid crying out in pain when the creature landed another hit, this time to her arm as she tried to deflect the attack. She used the Vampire Killer as a thrusting weapon and heard the creature howl in pain, but the numbing sensation that was spreading through her arm told her that the bone was either fractured or broken.

She tried a series of rapid kicks, aimed at the demon’s legs—his stomach was too high for her to reach—and gave a small smile when it dropped to its knees. She held her injured arm close to her body and wished for a sword once again.

“I could definitely use even a dagger at this point,” she grunted. “Some weapon _this_ is.”

Carly watched as her sister fought the giant demon, cursing herself for being useless. She had to close her eyes several times when she saw Ella getting hurt, but otherwise she couldn’t look away. There was something majestic about the way Ella fought, a fluidity in her movement that Carly hadn’t expected to find. She felt herself growing almost hypnotized watching Ella as well as the silver-colored cross Ella was wielding like a sword or an axe.

Daniel chanced a glance at Carly and was startled to see that her eyes had begun to change color, turning bright silver. She was also growing warmer to the touch, almost as though she were boiling from the inside.

“Carly?” he whispered, trying to gain her attention without distracting Ella.

Warmth slowly began to spread through Carly’s hands and arms, as though her frustration had begun to manifest itself in physical form. She wanted to help Ella, and she felt annoyed that she could do nothing but watch from the sidelines.

Ella noticed that the cross in her hands was slowly warming up. Between avoiding a clawed-paw and administering a roundhouse kick to the creature’s abdomen, she saw that the gems were changing their color again. This time the color was a pale orange color that was almost yellow, and they were growing brighter by the second.

In the back of her mind, she registered Daniel’s voice calling Carly’s name, asking her if she was okay, but she could not spare a glance in her direction. The demon was attacking fast, and she needed to keep herself focused. Her body had sustained several blows already, and while her arm was no longer numb, it still hurt like a bitch.

Ella watched the creature hesitate when it saw the golden glow of the Vampire Killer, and she smirked. This was her chance. She grabbed on to the top of the cross and held it with both hands as she would if it were a sword. With a sudden spike of energy, she jumped up and thrust the shaft into the demon’s stomach. Something seemed to have clicked inside the Vampire Killer, and a blade sprang forward, lunging in the beast’s flesh. As she came down, holding onto the glowing cross, Ella cut through the creature, effectively spilling its guts.

“Ew, gross!” She made a face when she pulled the Vampire Killer back, the blade sliding neatly back into its hidden compartment.

Carly watched with a hint of a smile as the creature that had terrorized her sister crumbled into a pile of limbs, groaning in pain.

Ella wore a similar smile as she approached the fallen demon. “That should teach you to never mess with the Belmonts.”

Taking the Vampire Killer with one hand, she reached for the demon’s head with the other. Another hidden blade revealed itself on the side of the weapon’s shaft, and Ella used it to decapitate the demon, ending its existence once and for all.

As soon as it was dead, the Vampire Killer’s glow faded, rendering the inlaid jewels colorless once again. Both Ella and Carly dropped to the ground. The torches came back to life not a moment later.

o.O.o

“We have _got_ to stop meeting like this,” Ella murmured when she opened her eyes to—once again—find Elizabeth holding her head in her lap.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Then you have to stop using the floor as your bed.”

“But it is just so comfy,” Ella teased, getting up on her feet. “At least my head seems to be in better shape this time around. Anything interesting happen while I was, um, taking a break?”

“You weren’t gone for as long as before,” Elizabeth said, “so you didn’t miss much. Carly woke up before you, though.”

“Carly lost consciousness, too?” Alarmed, Ella turned to see Carly sitting in Daniel’s lap, both still on the floor. “Are you well, Car?”

“If you never call me ‘Car’ again, I’ll be great.” Carly winked.

Ella relaxed. Carly looked well. In fact, she looked better than she had before. “Well, now that we’re all back in action, how about we get the hell out of here? I _really_ need a shower.”

Carly glanced at the state of Ella’s clothes—covered in both her own blood and the demon’s—and had to agree with her. “Do you think it will be too much for me to hope that we don’t come across any more of...whatever the fuck that abomination was?”

Elizabeth looked stricken by Carly’s language, so Ella replied instead. “I think that the sooner we get the hell out of here, the less likely we are to find any of its cousins lurking around, assuming that it has any, of course. An ugly creature like that…I don’t think the world is large enough to handle more than one...”

Daniel sighed. He was happy to see the old, perky Ella return, but he was worried about everything that had occurred in the past hours. He wanted to get out of the labyrinth so he could talk to Adele and see what she knew of this artifact.

Elizabeth took out the map from her pocket and looked for the quickest path to the exit. “The shortest one I can find will take us up a bunch of stairs that are pretty steep, but the other option will take us twice as long.”

“I vote for the stairs,” Carly said.

Ella stifled a groan. She had had enough stairs for a lifetime—both in her real life and in her dreams—but speed was the priority here, so she did not object.

“Lead the way, Elizabeth,” Daniel said.

o.O.o

The stairs turned out to be just as awful as Ella had expected them to be: steep, old, and not very steady-looking. She had to slow down her pace as she climbed every one of the one thousand, three hundred, and fourteen steps.

Carly was huffing and puffing by the time they reached the surface. “I will be...the happiest woman...on Earth if I...never see another...stair in my...life.”

“I’m...right there...with you,” Elizabeth mumbled, trying to catch her breath.

“Please tell me that we don’t have much further to go,” Ella asked, looking at Elizabeth, who was holding the map.

“Not...long...”

Ella chuckled. “I’ll let you catch your breath.”

“Most...grateful.”

Ella smiled again. It was amusing to see Elizabeth still being so very proper, even when she was out of breath. She was surprised at how well she was feeling, how energized. Logically, she should have been drained, tired. She was none of that. It was as though she had gotten a shot of energy when she collapsed. Carly was definitely feeling the effects of whatever the fuck had happened to knock her out cold twice, but Ella felt like she had just gotten a twelve-hour sleep.

Daniel and Carly were too drained to care much about the change in Ella’s behavior, and Elizabeth was just relieved that the Slayer was out of her bad mood. When she wasn’t frowning, grouchy, or scaring the living daylight out of her, Elizabeth thought that Ella was a very nice person to be around.

It took them almost ten more minutes of rest before they were ready to go again, but thankfully, the final stretch was short, and they soon found themselves walking into a large hall of an old church.

“It’s good to see you again,” Adele greeted them from one of the pews.

While waiting for the group to exit the labyrinth, Johann and the young boys had arranged for candles to be lit and a blanket to be brought from the car to spread on the cold benches.

“I hope we haven’t been keeping you waiting for too long,” Ella said, walking over to lean against one of the pillars not too far from Adele.

“I trust that your journey has been fruitful?”

Ella gave a small nod and brought out the Vampire Killer for Adele to see. “All in one piece.”

Adele did not touch the weapon, only smiled at the affirmation. She could almost feel the energy flowing from the young Slayer. The ritual has been complete, she thought. “I am sure that you have many questions.”

“I do, but I doubt everyone is going to stay vertical for much longer.” Ella glanced at Elizabeth, Carly, and Daniel, all of whom were slumped in one of the pews and on the verge of falling asleep. “I think they are pretty beat.”

“Yes, I believe that a rest is in order for them, but you seem to be highly energized.”

“I am. I doubt that I’ll be going to sleep any time soon.”

“Well, it is good that I myself keep late hours.” Adele smiled. “If you’d like to, we can go to my house and have a small chat, maybe even answer some of those questions that you have, while Johann takes your friends to their hotel.”

“But, Mother—”

“I can drive myself, Johann.” Adele’s tone left no room for argument.

Ella bit her lip to hide her smile.

“Elizabeth?” Adele turned to her great-niece. “Are you fit to drive, my dear?”

“Yes. It’s not a long ride, thankfully.” Elizabeth got back to her feet and stretched. “I think that we should all meet for lunch tomorrow.”

“Why not breakfast?” Johann asked with a frown.

Elizabeth looked at Adele with pleading eyes.

“Because some of us have had one hell of an ass-kicking tonight and would like to sleep in,” Ella said before Adele could intervene. “Not all of us were sitting on our asses and twiddling our thumbs.”

Johann’s face turned a bright shade of red.

“I think that lunch is a good compromise,” Adele said. She did not want a confrontation, and she could see that Ella was feeling very protective of her friends. She was pleased to see that Elizabeth was included in that category. Adele knew that Elizabeth would need a strong ally by her side in the near future. Things that were set in motion almost twenty years ago had finally begun to take effect.

o.O.o

Ella and Adele followed first Daniel and Carly and then Elizabeth to make sure everyone made it safely home before turning to Adele’s apartment. Ella wasn’t surprised to see that it was nearing three am by the time they finally sat down in Adele’s comfortable kitchen for a cup of tea, but she was somewhat curious at how energetic she was still feeling.

“Thank you,” she said quietly when Adele placed a cup of tea in front of her.

Adele sat down on the opposite side of the table. “You are welcome. My father always used to say that there is nothing like a good cup of tea at the end of a busy day.”

Ella smiled sadly. She remembered Stewart saying much the same.

“But we didn’t come here to talk about my father,” Adele said. “We came here so I could tell you about yours.”

“Among other things,” Ella allowed.

“Among other things,” Adele agreed. “I met your father when he was about fourteen years old. Christopher was brought to my doorstep one night in the middle of the summer by my father. Johann was nine, but since my mother had died, my father knew that Chris would be better off with me. He had just lost his parents and learned about the existence of vampires in the same night, and he was devastated. He was a scrawny kid back then, and by some miracle, he was able to escape the attack. To this day, I do not know how my father found him; neither of them ever spoke about it.

“I grew to think of Chris as a brother of sorts. He was too old for me to mother him, so I tried to treat him as a sibling. With time, he slowly began to open up to me. He spent four years with me, leaving as soon as he turned eighteen. He shot up, God bless him. He had almost a good foot on me. You probably got your small figure from your mother.”

Adele seemed to be lost in memories for a while, and Ella decided not to prompt her just yet.

“He was a kind person and very good with his hands. His eyes were green, and his hair was a dark brown. He was a very handsome man, and I knew that he would be quite the ladies’ man when he grew up. He didn’t notice the girls that began throwing themselves at him, though. He was too focused on getting revenge for his parents.” Adele sighed with sadness. “He was very strong, and he trained in every weapon he could think of in preparation. I knew that he was planning to leave come his eighteenth birthday, but I was still sad when we parted.

“I received a letter from him when he met your mother, Katerina. His _Katie_. He never told me how or where he had found her, just that he fell in love with her at first sight. Quite literally, actually.” Adele chuckled. “By then, he knew some of the legends of our family, so he knew what she was the moment he laid eyes on her. However, it still seemed like a good idea for him to try to sneak up on her, thus the falling.”

Ella smiled at that, thinking that is was something very likely to happen when one tried to stalk a slayer and was careless enough to get caught doing so.

“He loved your mother very much.” Adele’s eyes turned sad again. “He did not write often, but when he did, all he could speak about was his Katie. Christopher was twenty-four and Katie was seventeen when they had you. It was hard, especially since both of them were Belmonts, a species vampires have always been attracted to.”

“What about Ka...my mother’s parents?” Ella asked.

“Chris never wrote about her family, so I don’t know anything about them. I suspect that he tried to make sure his letters did not contain any information that would lead back to him, in case it fell into the wrong hands.” Adele paused to take a sip from her tea. “The last letter I received from Chris was to let me know that he had had a daughter. He fell in love with you the moment he first held you in his arms.”

Ella was openly crying now, crying for the loss of both sets of parents, for the loss of the love that Adele was describing. The tears were silent, rolling down her cheeks in long, watery streaks.

“Katie wrote to me once…to let me know that Chris had died. He was killed protecting you, Elleanora.” Adele’s smile was kind as she watched the young woman before her.

“Me?” Ella whispered.

“She did not share the details, only said that she loved him with her whole heart and that he was a very brave man who gave his life for yours. She went into hiding after that, and I have never heard from her again.”

Ella nodded. She felt heartbroken. Up until now, Christopher and Katerina were not much more than names for her. Now, after hearing Adele tell her about them, she felt like her parents had been torn away from her all over again. Wiping her tears away, she told herself to stop being a baby, angry at herself for such an emotional reaction in front of someone who was almost a complete stranger.

“Wait here. I have something for you,” Adele said, getting up.

Ella watched the woman disappear through the door and listened to her go about the house. A few minutes later, Adele came back into the kitchen with several photos in her hand.

“I do not have many photos of Chris. Back then, cameras were somewhat of a luxury.” Adele sat back down and laid out the photos on the table. “I thought you might want to see what your father looked like when he was your age.”

Ella’s hands trembled as she reached for one of the photos. She did not need Adele to point out Christopher Belmont to her. There were two men standing in what looked like a backyard in the black and white photograph, but only one of them looked like a male version of Ella. She was shocked to see just how much she looked like her father. He had a slightly more masculine set to his jaw, and his hair was short and dark while Ella still had the blonde dye, but he was almost an exact copy of her, done in a male version.

“Can I...” Her voice broke, and she had to clear her throat of the lump that had formed there. “Can I keep this one?”

Adele nodded. “You can keep all three. They are the ones I had made copies of. I’ve been hoping that I would get a chance to meet you ever since I heard you were born. Although, I never imagined that we would be meeting quite like this.”

“The story of my life...” Ella gave a humorless chuckle. “Things never go the way I think they would.”

“I can imagine that they don’t. Are you done with your tea?”

“Yeah,” Ella murmured absentmindedly, her eyes still studying every inch of the photo she was holding.

Adele made them both another cup of tea and went to bring an old leather-bound book she knew they would need.

Ella looked up from her photo when Adele placed the book on the table in front of them.

“Now, I think there were a few more questions you wanted answers to.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	20. Heart's Keeper

**Chapter Twenty – Heart’s Keeper**

“Now, I think that there were a few more questions you wanted answers to,” Adele said.

Ella nodded. She opened her jacket and released the velcro that held the Vampire Killer to the garment. “After we put this together, we noticed an inscription.” Adele reached for the weapon and examined the two short sentences. “Elizabeth translated this as some sort of sacrifice as well as a request to unleash the power of the new Heart’s Keeper. I would like to ask if you know something about this.”

“The term _Keeper_ has often been used in relation to my family,” Adele said, “but I don’t remember anything about a new power. There is a codex written by my grandfather. It consists of over twelve tomes of legends and prophecies he gathered during his lifetime. This is the index volume.” Adele opened the book she had brought earlier and began leafing through the pages. “I will try to look for anything that might be related to the inscription. Give me a moment.”

“Okay.” Ella’s attention returned to the silver weapon in her hands. The metal was cold again, like it had been before the artifact was inserted, but the familiarity of its weight in her hands remained. The gems were clear now. She recalled seeing them turn pink and then a yellowish-orange and wondered what significance that fact held. It seemed as though despite their countless hours of research, they had uncovered little more than the tip of the iceberg in regard to what there was to know about the Vampire Killer.

Adele left the room and returned with two more heavy books, placing them on the table. It did not take long for her to find what few references her grandfather had made to the Vampire Killer and to the Keepers of the Heart. She read through the writings with care; her grandfather had instilled in her a great understanding of the importance of each and every word in the old writings when she was young. She could feel that this was a time when the underlying meaning was crucial.

“Tell me, Elleanora, did anyone read this aloud?” Adele gestured at the writings on the weapon Ella was still holding.

Ella saw the worry in the older woman’s eyes and felt her heart sink. Keeping her expression carefully composed, she replied, “Carly did. I assume this is not a good thing, is it?”

“Who was touching the cross when she read those words?”

Ella raised a brow but was reminded that this was something Stewart had done often when he thought he’d found something of importance. She thought back to their time in the labyrinth; she had been holding the Vampire Killer in her hands when she’d taken the artifact from Carly, Carly had been touching the assembled weapon as she’d whispered the foreign words, and Ella remembered clearly that Daniel had reached for the weapon as well as soon as Carly began to repeat the words. “I am not sure about Elizabeth, but other than her, all three of us were in contact with it.”

“Did Elizabeth touch any one of you?”

“Yes. She grabbed Carly.” That was the last memory Ella had before everything went black. “What of it?”

“Before I answer your question, I have one more to ask.” Adele shifted one of the books, turning it toward Ella. “Did you happen to encounter this creature after speaking those words?”

Ella looked down at the coarse drawing. It was very vague, but the general details were there: the cat-like irises, the statue, and the sharp claws. “I killed it. Does that count?”

“Yes, that definitely counts.” Adele sighed. “I cannot imagine how you could have been strong enough to overpower it, though. Chaispiru is said to be stronger than any other creature on earth.” She looked at Ella with new appreciation in her eyes.

“Well, I guess you can’t believe everything you hear.” Ella shrugged, deciding that she would tell Adele about the gems later.

“Yes, I guess you can’t,” Adele murmured. “This text says that connecting the two parts of the Vampire Killer is not enough. One must make a sacrifice.”

Ella nodded, remembering that Daniel had said something very similar.

“The sacrifice itself comes in two parts. The translation is not very clear, but my grandfather wrote that whoever touches the cross and speaks the words offers his soul to the cross. If the offering is to be accepted, one must face the test of Chaispiru, the giant beast.”

“Since Casper-what’s-his-name is dead and we’re still here, what is this sacrifice about?”

“Chaispiru,” Adele repeated patiently. “If one passes the trial, his soul is forever bound to the weapon. A blood offering is required for the weapon to begin showing its power, thus enhancing the power of the wielder, but once the ritual is complete, one cannot be destroyed without the other. The cross will yield to the desire of the soul.”

“What did your grandfather write about the power?” Ella asked. She had bled in the labyrinth. When she woke up, the weapon was lying in a pool of her blood. Considering what had happened afterward, there was no doubt that the ritual was completed. “Any chance he wrote something about what might happen if the blood offering and the reading of the words were done by two different people?”

Understanding dawned on Adele, and she paled. “The weapon will yield to the blood and take from the soul, and one shall not exist without the other,” she read aloud directly from the text. “Should the two become three, the binding is stronger and the sacrifice greater.”

“In plain English?” Ella asked. “I’m not good with cryptic, even on my good days, and this hasn’t been one of them.”

Adele quickly read through the text again, making sure that what she was about to say was accurate. “In plain terms, everyone who is in contact with the weapon while the words are spoken—whether directly or via another person—becomes the Heart’s Keeper. You, Carly, Daniel, and Elizabeth all fall into that category. However, the person who made the blood offering—”

“I’m the lucky winner for that category,” Ella supplied dryly.

“Then you are now the one to whom the weapon will yield, and you will be able to harness the life energy of the Keepers—Elizabeth, Carly, and Daniel—to enhance the powers that the Vampire Killer holds. My grandfather writes that from what he was able to learn, the weapon will act as an extension of your will, but he couldn’t find anything more definitive.”

Ella leaned back in her chair, her eyes on the weapon. It made sense to her. She couldn’t quite explain—not even to herself—how she had been able to produce the hidden blades in the cross. She took it from the table and examined it again, looking for any hidden leverages she might have activated, anything to indicate a hidden compartment. She found nothing. It was as though the blades had been created at her will and had disappeared when she no longer had need for them.

“The gems are indicators, of sorts,” Adele said when Ella’s fingers caressed the stones in an almost loving fashion. “The common colors that have been observed are red, yellow, and orange. As for the actual use, my grandfather wrote that no one knew to tell him of the significance of the colors with any degree of certainty. Red was said to represent the blood, the sacrifice.”

“Naturally,” Ella murmured.

Adele ignored the comment. “Yellow, he assumed, could stand for light, sun, or even fire. As for the orange, he wrote that it was something mentioned only once; and as hearsay from a very old folklore tale, that could not be verified.”

“Well, I have seen the orange,” Ella said.

“Really? When?” Adele was both shocked and curious at this piece of information.

“When I was fighting Calimero—”

“Chaispiru,” Adele corrected absentmindedly.

Ella rolled her eyes. “I was really wishing for a sword or a dagger while I was fighting that _thing_. The metal first began to warm up in my hands, and just before the hidden blades sprang out, I saw that the gems were emanating a bright orangey-yellow color.”

“Well, that’s definitely something to look into,” Adele said.

Ella suddenly smiled. Adele sounded so much like Stewart at that moment—she even had the same semi-frown mixed with amazement that Stew used to have when he’d come across something new to study—and it made Ella warm up a little bit to the woman. “I agree. Do you think Daniel could take a look at these tomorrow? I know he’d want to know everything that you told me, and he’s pretty handy with a book.”

Adele chuckled. “That’s a fine young man you have watching over you.”

“He has his moments.” Ella shrugged, her lips still curved upward.

The older woman shook her head but let the subject be. “Tell him to speak with me when he wakes up tomorrow. He can have access to the books as long as you are here, and I will ask Elizabeth to help me make photocopies of them to send to you after you leave.”

“Thank you, I appreciate this very much.”

“I should be thanking you, Elleanora.” Adele smiled. “I know you do not like hearing this, but you are destined for great things.”

“You’re right,” Ella grumbled, “I don’t like hearing that.”

Adele chuckled. “Well, I believe it is time that we both retired. I will take you to the ho—”

“No need,” Ella rushed to say. “I feel like taking a walk, to clear my mind of things.”

“But it’s several miles...” Adele trailed off when Ella shook her head, getting to her feet.

“I will be fine, thank you. I really do need to work off the excess energy, or I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

“Very well, I will show you the shortest way on the map. I want to make sure that you do not get lost.”

Ella smiled, happy that she didn’t have to argue her point further. She also had to admit that the map was a good idea, as she was unfamiliar with the area. She was fairly sure that she could follow back the route they had made in the car earlier, but it was probably not the shortest path one could take.

o.O.o

Ella returned to the hotel room she shared with Carly just as the sun was rising. A glance at the clock told her that it was a little after six in the morning. It had been a long time since she had been up all night, Ella thought. She scribbled a note for Carly and Daniel, telling them that they need to talk to Adele about some books she had that were related to the Vampire Killer. Ella knew that she would probably be sleeping long after they woke up, and she didn’t want the day to go to waste. Although they could, potentially, return as late as Sunday and still not miss any school days, Ella wanted to spend the weekend in her own bed, so she wrote, “ _Can we book the flight back for tomorrow or for Friday? I miss my bed..._ ”

Taking a long, hot shower, Ella didn’t make it to bed before it was half past seven, but it was the first night since the beginning of the year that she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

Ella found herself in the middle of a forest, with the sun slowly beginning to rise on the horizon. The leaves on the tree branches were gently rustling as the morning breeze swept through them like a gentle lover’s caress. She turned to lie on her back and looked up at the sky. The purple was slowly giving way to the light shades of blue and yellow. Ella breathed in and could almost taste the sunlight in the air, as well as something very fresh that she simply could not name. She smiled, and her eyes closed of their own accord when she felt a gentle caress on her cheek.

“You came,” he whispered to her.

“You called for me,” she whispered back, stretching her head to the side when his mouth began to pepper her neck with soft kisses.

“I need you.”

She smiled but did not open her eyes when she felt herself being lifted and cradled in his embrace. The fresh scent that she had detected earlier was his. It was like somehow he had managed to bottle happy childhood memories, the rays of the sun itself, the scent of old books, and the most desirable sustenance imaginable and then bathe in the concoction until it became his. She wanted to drown herself in his scent, in his touch, until it became hers as well.

His touch brought her comfort when he caressed her back. His mouth was still on her throat, kissing and nibbling, and she found herself nuzzling into the nook of his neck, having the desire to purr like a satisfied kitten.

“You have me.” She sighed, feeling his teeth gently scrape at her neck.

“I love the taste of you,” he whispered against her ear, making her shudder. His breath fanned her skin for a moment before she felt him biting her on her shoulder. It was a gentle bite, not a painful one, and a pleasurable jolt of shivers shot down her spine. She melted in his arms, not wanting or able to suppress the moans and wanton sounds that came from her.

She brought her hand to the nape of his neck and pressed his mouth closer to hers. She felt her breasts swell, almost painfully so. She wanted him to touch her, to ease the ache that had settled in the pit of her stomach and was now growing to encompass all of her body.

He seemed to know exactly what she wanted. He leaned her back and covered her body with his lean figure. In the back of her mind, Ella noted that she was no longer in the middle of the forest but lying on the softest sheets imaginable.

Looking up at his face, she could almost see the individual features of it, but somehow they were still too unfocused. She knew him, though, regardless. She knew that his eyes were a warm amber shade. She knew that his cheekbones were prominent and that he would have the sexiest pair of dimples when he smiled. She closed her eyes and gave in to the wonderful sensation that swept through her as he took her lips in a kiss, allowing her to taste his mouth as he ravished hers.

So soft, she thought, as her hands found the skin on his lower back. She splayed her fingers, trying to touch as much of him as possible. She could feel her skirt rising under his wandering hands, and she cried out in desperation when his hand touched her inner thigh, reaching just high enough to tease her but not enough to please her. She growled at him, and he growled right back at her, pinning her hands above her head, towering her.

Ella grinned at him, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching her back, bringing their bodies back into contact. She knew she was teasing him, but she couldn’t help it. She loved how the sound of him growling made her body tingle in anticipation.

He didn’t disappoint, and his growl was so sensual that she found herself closing her eyes and arching again, this time pressing their pelvises together. He groaned and captured her lips in another kiss.

Her hands were still held prisoner in his left while he used his other hand to cup her breasts through the thin fabric of her dress, causing even more amazing sensations to rise within her. She had never felt this way before, had never known that someone’s touch could feel so good.

Ella nearly screamed with frustration when her dream suddenly shifted. The blond man, with his kisses and caresses, was no longer with her in bed, and she knew that she was pouting. She found herself in an unfamiliar bedroom, which was almost completely cast in darkness. A chill set in, and she felt tears forming in her eyes.

Just as the tears spilled, she felt the mattress sink, and a pair of strong arms slid to hug her from behind.

“What is it, ma beauté mortelle?”

Instantly, she relaxed. He was there, holding her, kissing her softly on the shoulder. She turned to him and smiled. “Nothing.”

He kissed her gently on her forehead and then placed her head on his chest, leaning his chin on top. She sighed, closing her eyes and softly humming in contentment.

o.O.o

Daniel and Carly had just finished breakfast and gone up to Daniel’s room when Adele called them. They assured her that Ella had made it safely to the hotel—Carly had checked up on her before they went down to the restaurant—and promptly asked about the books Ella had mentioned in her note. Adele gave them her address and told them to come over.

Elizabeth joined them around lunch time, having slept in. She knew of the existence of the books, of course, but now that one of the legends in them applied to her personally, she took to the matter with much more seriousness and interest.

As the sun set on Wednesday night, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Carly moved to Daniel’s hotel room to continue the research regarding the gems inlaid in the Vampire Killer. Elizabeth had told them about the weapon glowing in red when it touched Ella’s blood, and Daniel shared what he had seen when Ella was fighting the giant beast.

“So...we’re immortals,” Carly remarked as they took a break to eat the dinner that was ordered via room service.

“Isn’t that what all kids want these days, to stay young forever?” Daniel asked.

“And since when am I considered part of that group, huh?” Carly challenged, smiling despite herself.

“Never,” he conceded.

“Okay, I have a question,” Carly said suddenly, waving her fork. “It might be a bit morbid, but still... This legend says that one cannot be destroyed without the other, right?”

“Right.” Elizabeth nodded.

“So how do you destroy it?”

“Us, or the Vampire Killer?” Daniel asked, pausing with his fork loaded and halfway to his mouth.

“Either,” Carly replied. “I mean, are we, like, immune to something now, other than death by natural causes?”

“That’s an interesting point.” Daniel seemed thoughtful.

“I think we should look into it next,” Elizabeth said. “Lord knows we haven’t gotten anywhere with the damned gems and their colors.”

“I totally understand why Ella feels the way she does about cryptic shit. It sucks not knowing, but this having just a few crumbs bullshit is torturous!” Carly thrust her fork downward, skewering several leaves of lettuce and a piece of cucumber before shoving them almost violently into her mouth.

Elizabeth laughed, holding her hand over her mouth so she wouldn’t accidentally spit on someone. “I’m right there with you, Carly. This definitely sucks. I wish we could find _something_.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Carly warned. “Last time we found something, the damn thing was a fucking giant that tried to kill us.”

“Good point.” Elizabeth nodded her head and took another bite of her sausage. She had begun growing accustomed to Carly’s... _direct_ way of saying things.

“Look, once we get back to Seattle, I’ll contact Jenks,” Daniel said. “I’ll tell him to put the word out that we’re looking for anything regarding artifacts of German origin.”

“Speaking of which, when are you planning on flying back?”

“Ella asked to go back as soon as we can.” Daniel exchanged a look with Carly. “I think it’s a good idea.”

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked, noting the concern on both of their faces. “Is there something wrong with her?”

“We’re not...sure,” Daniel said. He exchanged yet another concerned glance with Carly before turning back to Elizabeth.

Carly placed her fork on the plate, which was almost empty now. “I’ll start, and Daniel will fill in the blanks if I don’t cover everything.”

“I’m listening.”

“When I first met Ella, she was a very vibrant person. She always had an edge, and she always kicked ass,” Carly smiled as she thought about the many times she had seen Ella in action, “but she was never cold or mean. We were living in Phoenix, Arizona, when we first met. I was attacked by a vicious vampire, and Ella came to my rescue. She hadn’t intended to tell me anything about her world, but I sort of made her.”

Daniel finished his meal and placed a hand on Carly’s back in support.

“Ella eventually told me about everything: Slayers, Watchers, vampires, the works. The vampire who attacked me, Alucard, was a real piece of work. I won’t go into all of the details, but he came up with a plan to get his hands on Ella. He...,” Carly took a deep breath, “he killed her Watcher and her parents in one night. She was so broken...but she pulled out. She found where the bastard was hiding, and she burned the motherfucker down.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened slightly at the language, but she said nothing. The story Carly was telling was not an easy one, and she was somewhat growing accustomed to the crassness that was part of what made the girl her.

“We thought that it would be the end of it, but then the Council intervened.” Carly turned to Daniel. “I’m still curious to know if they got wind of the fact that Ella knew the truth from me or from you.”

“It could be either,” he said. “My father was the attorney that took care of Ella’s adoptive parents’ affairs, and I took over after his death,” he explained to Elizabeth. “When Ella was given up for adoption by the Council, my father was able to...take the place of the original attorney that the Council had assigned to the case.”

Elizabeth noticed the pause and had no trouble filling in the blanks. Daniel’s father hadn’t simply taken over; he killed the competition.

“I was instructed to contact Ella when she turned eighteen and tell her the true story behind the origins of the Slayer and about the involvement of the Council in the events that had led to the current situation. I assume you are aware of the story?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Unfortunately, my first contact with Ella was after her parents’ death. She took things in stride, though,” Daniel said with a clear note of pride to his voice. “Somehow, though, the Council found out that Ella knew, and they tried to eliminate the threat. They failed.”

“Yeah, Ella took care of the assassins they sent before the babbling fools had any idea what struck them.” Carly grinned. “And then Knight in Shining Armor over here showed up to get us the hell out of Arizona, staging our deaths to get the Council off our backs.”

Daniel shook his head at the jibe, quietly chuckling. He loved Carly’s way of putting things.

“So we took off, flew through God knows how many places to shake off any spies, and ended up in Forks,” Carly said. “We found two things in Forks; one is the Vampire Killer, and the other is more vampires. Since life’s a bitch, these new vampires were like nothing we had ever encountered before, and I’ve been with Ella long enough to see some crazy shit.”

“A new kind of vampire?” Elizabeth was shocked.

“Yes.” Daniel nodded.

“How are they different from the vampires we know?”

Carly was the one to answer. “Well, the first difference is that these vamps don’t give a flying fuck about the sun. The legends we found say that their skin turns a blue-gray color when exposed to direct sunlight, but I’ve never had a chance to see it for myself. The second is that these guys are much stronger than anything we have ever dealt with before.”

“Are you sure these are vampires?” Elizabeth asked. “They sound like a different kind of demon.”

“We are sure,” Daniel said. “They drink human blood, need it to survive. Another interesting difference is that they have either red eyes or golden eyes. Also, the stories we uncovered said that when they are overcome with thirst, their eyes turn black.”

“Fucking chameleons,” Carly murmured under her breath.

“I will have to speak of this with my great-aunt,” Elizabeth said. “If there is a new race of vampires that is stronger than the Slayer, she must know about this.”

“They aren’t stronger,” Carly said.

“But you said—”

“I know,” Carly cut her off, “I’m getting there. The first time Ella met these Chameleo-vamps, she was much weaker; but before we left to come here, she wasn’t. She grew stronger.”

“Chameleo-vamps?” Daniel asked.

Carly shrugged. “What else do you want me to call them? I need a name for them to tell them apart from the demon-vamps that we met in Phoenix.”

“Good point,” he allowed.

“Don’t these vampires have any other name that you encountered while researching them?” Elizabeth asked.

“Cold Ones,” Daniel said.

“You could call them that,” Elizabeth suggested. “I think that ‘Demon Vampires’ works well with the kind we knew up until now.”

“Fine,” Carly grumbled. “Demon Vampires and Cold Ones. Can I get back to the story?”

“Sure.”

“Of course.”

“Okay. Ella grew stronger, which was good, but then we found the Vampire Killer, and she began to change.” Carly’s tone became somber. “At first, it seemed to give her even more strength. Then, it was like she became more aggressive, kind of like people do when they take steroids, you know?”

“Yes, I understand.” Elizabeth frowned, not liking the sound of that at all.

“Good. Things got worse after New Year’s. Ella grew more distant. She slept less, and I think she still suffers from nightmares, but she won’t talk about it.” Carly leaned into Daniel’s hug again, sighing. “After we landed here, it was like all hell broke loose. She’s...harsher, more direct. She was never one to beat around the bush, but now it’s like she’s beating the bush with a baseball bat. She thinks that we don’t notice, but she is also very cold, physically. She shivers so hard sometimes that you’d think she stuck a vibrator up her butt and left it working on the highest setting.”

Elizabeth tried her best not to gape at Carly. Counting to ten and looking beyond the crude words, she now understood the worry that Daniel and Carly tried so hard to hide. “Did you try asking her what this is about?”

“We tried, but she refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem,” Daniel said. “Today is the first time since we arrived that she seems to be able to sleep properly.”

“Speaking of which,” Carly rose to her feet, “I’m going to check up on her.”

Elizabeth turned to Daniel. “Have you figured out whether this is the effect of the Cold Ones or the Vampire Killer that has caused the change in Ella’s behavior?”

“I honestly don’t know.” Daniel’s shoulders slumped. “It could be either, or it could be something we haven’t thought about yet.”

“Something that would alter a Slayer’s behavior while enhancing her strength,” Elizabeth murmured to herself. “Interesting.”

“We don’t know that the two are related,” he said. “I am not a great believer in coincidence, but I am not willing to rule it out just yet.”

“That is understandable,” she agreed.

“However, she was better back in Forks, so I think that we would want to leave sooner rather than later.”

“Do you think that it would help?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” Daniel admitted. “I just know that she isn’t getting any better. I am also concerned about this new development with the Vampire Killer.”

“What new development?” Carly asked, walking back into the room.

“The one that makes her faint when she uses it,” he said. “How is she?”

“Still sleeping.” Carly sat back down next to him. “Sound as a baby. Do you think this is another side-effect of using the Vampire Killer?”

Daniel shook his head. “No, I think it’s more likely that her body is simply catching up on the sleep she’s been missing lately.”

Carly stared at him. She could see that he didn’t believe it himself, but she wouldn’t call him out on it. She could see that he was just as worried as she was, and she decided to let them both take comfort in the false certainty. The bad things would come—there was never any escaping them, she knew—but they would at least have a Slayer at full strength when they needed her.

“I think that we will book tickets for tomorrow. I think that there should be an afternoon flight departing from Frankfurt airport,” Daniel said. “What do you think, Carly?”

“Why not take the morning flight?”

“I thought you might like to sleep in as well.” He gave her a gentle smile, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and cupping her cheek.

Carly smiled back, getting lost in the moment. “That sounds like an interesting idea.”

Elizabeth could almost feel the sparks flying between the couple in front of her. They had momentarily forgotten that she was in the room, and she felt her heart warm at the sight of their display of affection. She’d suspected that they were a couple before, but now she was seeing irrefutable proof of that assumption. They would need each other, she thought. From everything they had told her, she knew that things had not been easy for them, and it was not about to become any easier in the near future.

Elizabeth left the hotel soon after that. They had spoken a little bit more about their plans for the future, and they made arrangements to keep in touch. She knew that they would need to work together to defeat the Council, whose evil reign needed to come to an end, and soon. They had already caused almost irreversible damage to the Belmont bloodline. Elizabeth’s family had been trying to locate active slayers for the past fifty years, and they’d been unsuccessful until Ella showed up—practically on their doorstep. Things were getting worse, Elizabeth thought.

As she drove back to her apartment, she thought about what Daniel and Carly had told her, about the change in Ella’s behavior. It was only when she was pulling the covers over herself and settling in for the night that a thought occurred to her. It made her smile. There was indeed another reason that could cause Ella to become physically cold, emotionally crass, and to lose sleep.

Elizabeth did not know if Ella was aware of it or not, but she had found her soul mate. Elizabeth wanted to both laugh and chide herself for not thinking about this sooner. All of the symptoms were textbook symptoms of a supernatural being separated from its soul mate prior to consummating the bond but after making skin-to-skin contact.

She sat up in her bed and contemplated calling Adele in this late hour of the night. Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she should tell this to them, she wasn’t even sure Ella would believe her, but she thought that Carly and Daniel would be much calmer if they knew the reason for Ella’s behavior.

She decided to call her great-aunt despite the late hour. There was no time to waste; their flight had been booked to depart just shortly after noon on the following day.

It was a short call, but Adele was almost delighted to hear Elizabeth’s news.

“Don’t tell them,” Adele instructed. “The Slayer will probably not believe this, and her friends will probably want to study this further, which might interfere with the way things are meant to be.”

“I understand. Thank you for your advice.”

“You are welcome, Elizabeth.” Adele’s voice was warm. “And thank _you_ for this wonderful news. This is something I have been waiting to hear for a very long time.”

“I would imagine so.” Elizabeth smiled, knowing exactly what Adele meant.

They ended the call, and Elizabeth once again pulled the covers over herself. She was still smiling when she succumbed to sleep.

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	21. Home

**Chapter Twenty-One – Home**

_Thursday, March 18, 1999_

Ella slept for nearly twenty-four hours straight. She would have slept longer had Carly not shaken her awake around six in the morning and told her that they were going home. Ella was happy to hear that they were leaving sooner rather than later, and she became much more agreeable to getting out of bed and packing.

Carly missed Ella’s sluggishness as she went about her morning routine, but even still, if she had noticed it, she would not have given it much thought. The past week had been an eventful one, and Ella did have days when she woke up on the wrong side of the bed and took several minutes before getting back to her normal self.

Dragging herself to the bathroom, Ella was still feeling sleepy. Her mind was still replaying her pleasant dreams from the night before, and she laughed at herself when she realized she had brushed her teeth twice. Yawning, she slowly took off her pajamas and changed into one of her favorite skirts—a black mini—and paired it with a white, tight fitting blouse. Since the weather was still chilly, she pulled a burgundy V-neck sweater over the blouse. Happy with the final result, she set aside her knee-high boots and her leather jacket and started packing everything else. The Vampire Killer was still attached to the jacket, same as it had been last night when she came back from Adele’s.

Packing shouldn’t have taken her long, but Ella’s movements were somewhat hindered by the weariness she was still feeling. Chalking it up to sleeping too long—twenty-four hours of sleep was not something she had ever had before—Ella set her mind to making sure that the others didn’t notice.

All three Belmonts were packed and ready to go just shortly before they had to vacate their rooms. They went down to the lobby where they found Elizabeth waiting for them.

“Hey, there,” Ella smiled at her, “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’ve gotten lost.”

Elizabeth heard the amusement in Ella’s tone and returned the smile. “Yeah, I just stopped for directions. I completely forgot that you were staying here.”

Carly snorted at that before pulling Elizabeth in for a hug. “I’m going to miss you, Eli.”

“Eli?” Elizabeth raised a brow in question as they pulled back.

“Yeah. Elizabeth’s too long, and I don’t like Beth.” Carly made a face. “It sounds like a name for a cow.”

That comment earned her a round of chuckles from everyone.

“You mean that if you were ever to call me Beth, you’d be trying to insult me, right?” Elizabeth managed to keep a straight face as she said this.

So straight, in fact, that it took Carly a moment to realize that her leg was being pulled. “Exactly,” she said. “So, you came to make sure we leave your country the hell alone?”

Daniel came to stand behind Carly, having finished settling their bill with the receptionist, and stared at her and then at Elizabeth. He hadn’t heard the previous exchange and was completely baffled when Elizabeth said, “Definitely. I don’t think Viernheim would stand for much longer if you stayed for another week,” in an honest tone, barely managing to keep her face straight this time.

“Um, Elizabeth? Carly? Ella? What’s...er, I mean...”

The three girls burst out laughing.

“You three are going to give me a heart attack one day,” Daniel grumbled, shaking his head. “I swear you will.”

“But you love us anyway, Dan.” Carly made a show of batting her eyelashes at him and leaned in to hold onto his arm, going so far as lifting her leg and throwing her head slightly back.

“Please don’t call me Dan.” Daniel frowned at them and took two steps forward to grab his suitcase. “I will meet you at the car.”

Ella, Elizabeth, and Carly exchanged confused glances before all three began to talk at the same time.

At that point Daniel turned with a grin on his face. “You girls are so easy to fool...”

Elizabeth smiled good-naturedly, chuckling when Carly slapped Daniel’s arm, threatening bodily harm if he ever did that again to her.

“Thank you for coming to say goodbye, Elizabeth,” Ella said to her before pulling her in for a hug. “And thank you for all of your help.”

“You’re welcome.” Elizabeth knew that as much as she thought she should thank her, Ella wouldn’t want her gratitude. The Slayer saw it as her duty, and thanking her for doing her job was something she either grumbled about or laughed at. “I’m sure we will keep in touch, so don’t act like you’re never going to hear from me again.”

“I won’t.” Ella smiled as they pulled away. “I assume Carly got your email and all that.”

“She did.”

They spent a few more minutes chatting and saying their goodbyes. Elizabeth was only paying partial attention. She had come to say goodbye to her new friends, but she was also immensely curious about Ella. She tried to be inconspicuous about it, so she did not dare to stare, but she did notice that Ella’s touch was even colder than it had been the last time they met. She also noted that the Slayer was slightly shivering and was much paler than usual. The signs all seemed to fit. It wouldn’t take long before she brought herself to the point where only her soul mate could reach her.

Elizabeth almost chewed her lip off in an attempt to stop herself from saying something to Carly and Daniel as she pulled them in for one last hug before watching them drive away and waving goodbye until they were out of her sight. She had spoken to Adele again that morning before coming to their hotel. It felt wrong not to share her information with at least Carly and Daniel, but Adele told her that it was not something they should interfere with. Some things just had to take their natural course, she had said. If either of them were to meddle, they might inadvertently change the course of Ella’s fate, and that was something neither of them wanted. Great things were foretold, and everything pointed to Ella being the one of whom the prophets spoke.

Sighing heavily, Elizabeth got into her car and began making her way to Adele’s. There was still much that needed to be done.

o.O.o

Ella was able to put on a good show all the way to the airport, through the check-in process and up until the time when they were seated. Ella got the aisle seat while Carly and Daniel sat near the window. She fastened her seatbelt and closed her eyes, taking shallow breaths to fight the sudden nausea that had come over her. She tried to tune out all of the noise around her and focus on her breathing. After a little while, she felt the nausea subside. She was even able to eat some of the lunch that was served, even though most of it tasted no better than cardboard.

Daniel and Carly were chatting quietly among themselves, glancing at Ella every once in a while but mostly keeping to themselves. Soon, however, they both ran out of words to say and simply enjoyed each other’s company. Carly leaned her head on Daniel’s shoulder and smiled to herself as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him and planting a kiss on top of her head.

Noticing that they had grown quiet, Ella glanced at Carly and Daniel and saw that they were both sleeping with peaceful expressions on their faces. She was happy for her sister, but at the same time, tears formed in her eyes. She looked away, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek, her emotions taking over.

The sadness and heartbreak did not ease up as the hours passed, and Ella recalled the dream she had had the night before they left for Germany. She dreamed that a choice was being presented to her, a choice between her heart and her duty, and she now began to wonder if her dismissal of that dream had been a foolish act.

True, she thought, she met Elizabeth and Adele and was able to find out more information about her birthparents, but could she have lost something more important by choosing to leave?

Ella sighed and wiped the tears from her cheeks again. She remembered a technique Stewart had taught her soon after she was notified of her true identity. He had worked with her on this technique often in those first few months, teaching her how to relax when she felt overwhelmed with her emotions. She slowed her breathing and deepened it, inhaling and exhaling consciously. She closed her eyes and focused all of her thoughts on her breathing. Inhaling the air, feeling her lungs expand, and pausing a moment before exhaling slowly, her chest falling back down, and then repeating the exercise.

This way of breathing had helped her gain more focus in the past, and it was helping her during the flight as well. She could still sense the minute changes in altitude, hear the hearts of nearby passengers speeding up and calming down, smell the different odors that had caused her nausea at the beginning of the flight...but she felt calmer.

o.O.o

Carly and Daniel woke up just a few minutes before landing and were groggy as the three of them exited the plane, got their luggage, and went through passport control.

They made a stop at Daniel’s apartment to freshen up and pick up a few books that Daniel wanted to have with him before heading toward Forks. They had three days ahead of them in which neither of them had school or business to take care of, and Daniel wanted to make the most out of it. He could tell that Carly did not want to part with him any more than he wanted to part with her, and research was a valid excuse for him to stay the night in Forks. He began contemplating the benefits of searching out a house for himself in Forks but stopped that train of thought for the time being. What he and Carly had was only in its very early stages. There would be time for such major decisions later.

Ella had to focus every last bit of her attention on the road as they made the three and a half hour drive from Seattle to Forks. Carly wanted to ride with Daniel, but she could see that Ella needed company if she were to stay awake and alert throughout the drive. Daniel had to be able to get back to Seattle come Sunday night, so he took his own car and followed behind them.

“So...” Ella paused and smirked as she glanced at Carly. “How about sharing with your sis all the juicy details?”

Carly cursed under her breath, knowing that she was probably blushing. “There’s nothing juicy to tell.”

“Yeah, right, like I’d believe _that_.” Ella laughed, making a turn to go on the I5 highway. “He was all over you in the hotel two days ago.”

Carly groaned. “We just kissed.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “That was way more than just kissing.” When Carly didn’t say anything, Ella added, “So how was it?”

Carly glanced at her friend. The question was asked in a very quiet tone, and she could tell that Ella was truly curious. “Remember that time when you told me about Scott kissing you?”

“Yeah, although I wish I didn’t. Kissing Sloppy Scott was like being licked by a St. Bernard.”

“Well, it was nothing like that. It was gentle...at first, anyway. Then I kinda lost myself.” She thought back to their first kiss and smiled to herself. “In the first few seconds, it was kinda weird; I didn’t really know what to do with myself, you know what I mean?”

“Definitely.” Ella nodded. “You feel like you have four arms and ten noses.”

“Exactly!” Carly chuckled. “Then...I just focused on him. I tell you, it really helps when the guy knows what he’s doing.”

“Oh, really?” Ella raised a brow. “What else does the guy know?”

Carly hit her in the shoulder. “Shut up! All we did was kiss.”

“Uh-huh, so that’s what they call it these days.” That earned Ella another smack on the shoulder, which she barely felt.

They changed the subject after that and had a pleasant drive up until they exited Port Angeles. Ella grew quiet suddenly. She felt the nausea rising again, the same sick feeling she had had on the flight. Thinking that some fresh air might help, she rolled down the window and sped up a little. She became anxious to get home.

“Everything okay, Ella?” Carly asked, worried as the speedometer moved past seventy miles per hour.

“I just want to get home already.” Ella sighed. “I’m sorry.” She took her foot off the gas paddle.

Carly didn’t reply. The car slowed down, but not ten minutes later, Ella was speeding up again. Trusting her sister’s instincts, Carly leaned back in her seat and made no further comments. The facial expression on Ella’s face was similar to the one she had worn throughout most of their trip to Germany—anxious, worried, and on the verge of pain.

Ella was growing cold again. She could feel her body beginning to shake, but she held on to the last remnants of her control. She was gritting her teeth by the time they passed the sign welcoming them to Forks to keep them from chattering.

Ella parked the car in their driveway and shut off the engine. She sat still for a moment longer, making sure she could control her emotions and physical reactions. It was worse than what she had experienced in Germany. She felt as though she’d taken a dive in ice water. She was so _cold_. Worse than the cold sensation, she felt fear gripping her from within and squeezing her chest painfully. She exited the car and fought for air. She couldn’t understand what was going on, only that she was unable to inhale deeply enough because the pressure in her chest was too strong.

Daniel approached her, alarmed to see her ghostly pale.

“I can’t...breathe.” It was all she could say before her feet collapsed beneath her.

Daniel’s quick reflexes and proximity were the only things that saved Ella from slamming her head against the pavement.

“Ella!” Carly ran around the car. Alarmed at Ella’s lifeless body lying in Daniel’s arms, Carly looked up to him with tears in her eyes. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. She said she couldn’t breathe.” As he spoke, Daniel laid Ella on the ground and checked her breathing and pulse. “She’s breathing, but it’s very shallow, and her heart rate is much too slow for my taste. Did anything happen during the drive?”

Carly kneeled beside him. “She was getting anxious the closer we got to Forks, but she said she was okay.” She paused and took several deep breaths, pushing the panic to the back of her mind.

“We need to get her to a doctor. Fuck! We’re too far from any contact I have.”

Carly jumped at the curse—Daniel had never cursed in her presence before—but a thought came to her then. “Daniel, are you sure this is something physical?”

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t the first time she’s fainted. In the labyrinth...”

“You think it’s supernatural?” he asked.

Carly nodded.

Daniel picked Ella up. “There’s no point in staying outside. Could you open the door for me?”

She didn’t bother with an answer and instead ran to the front door and unlocked it.

Daniel carried Ella to the living room and placed her on the couch. There was still no sign that she was going to wake up, and her heartbeat was still worryingly slow. He ran over everything he had learned about supernatural curses, diseases, and conditions that could be caused by a supernatural element, but his mind was too clouded with worry to sort through them all. And then he noticed Carly typing vigorously on her laptop. “What are you doing?”

“I may not know what’s going on here, but I _do_ know a supernatural doctor.”

Daniel felt like kicking himself. “Of course! Dr. Cullen!”

“Exactly.” Carly nodded, not looking up from her screen. “I have been able to get access to all of the hospital records, but they don’t list his cell phone or beeper number. Fucking incompetent bastards!”

Daniel had to smile at that. This was his Carly, a fighter all the way. “Do they list a home number?”

“That’s what I’m looking for now,” Carly replied. A moment later she looked up. “Got it!”

Daniel took his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in the number as she read it to him.

Please let there be someone at home, Carly prayed silently. At the same time, she was already hacking into the school system—the security there was pathetic, but so was their supply of information—to see if she could get another number from there or a home address. She knew that taking Ella to the hospital was out of the question. A normal doctor wouldn’t know what was wrong with her and would ask too many questions. There was the off chance that Dr. Cullen would be the one to examine her, but Carly didn’t like working with off chances. She made the decision that she would bring Ella to see the doc, whatever it took.

“Hi, my name is Daniel Belmont. Is Dr. Cullen at home?” Daniel wasted no time with explanations.

On the other end of the line, Alice suddenly froze before breaking into a huge smile. “He will be here in a few minutes. He just stepped out. What can we do for you, Mr. Belmont?”

Jasper looked at his mate with curiosity. She had been so somber for the past week that this bubbling happiness was completely unexpected.

Daniel took a deep breath. “He treated Ella, my...um...sis—niece in the past.”

Suddenly the phone was gone from Daniel’s hand, and his voice was replaced with Carly’s. “Look, we know that you’re not human, and we know that you’re aware that Ella isn’t completely human either. She fainted and won’t wake up, and we can’t take her to the hospital because they won’t understand or know what to do with her. Now, is Dr. Cullen around, and can he move his ass and get over here? Or we can bring Ella to your place—which, by the way, is not fucking listed in any record I’ve looked, so you’ll need to provide directions.”

Alice smiled, but her tone did not reflect it. “Bring Ella here.”

“Good, now here’s Daniel. He’s going to be driving, so you better explain this to him.”

They finished the call after Alice gave Daniel the directions to the Cullen house at the edge of Forks and Daniel said they would be there shortly.

“Alice, what’s going on?” Jasper asked.

“One moment, let me get Carlisle.” She quickly dialed his cell. “Carlisle, I know you’re almost done with your shift, but we’re going to have a visitor and we need you to get home as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Alice, I will be right there,” Carlisle answered calmly. There was no trace of panic to Alice’s voice, so he was not alarmed. It wouldn’t be the first time his presence was required when they had visitors. Numbers were the best way to deter another vampire from attempting to fight for territory, and Alice knew that Carlisle preferred a peaceful approach whenever possible.

While Carlisle made preparations to get home and Carly and Daniel transferred Ella to Daniel’s car, Alice turned to Jasper to explain her reaction. “When Carlisle said that Ella said another man’s name in her sleep, he said the name was Daniel.”

“And you think this is the same Daniel?”

Alice nodded. “I think our Carlisle overreacted a little.” She smirked.

“You can’t be sure that Daniel is not a love interest, Alice,” he pointed out. “His hesitation in stating their relationship could be indicative of that.”

She was not deterred. “I saw Ella’s sister, Carly, in a very passionate embrace with this Daniel. Those two were professing their love for each other.”

Jasper smiled. Alice was feeling very smug about the whole situation. “Do you think that Carlisle is going to stop being so stubborn about talking to Ella once he finds this out?”

“Somehow,” she wrapped her arms around his waist, “I doubt that there’s going to be a lot of talking going on here.”

He leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. “You’re forgetting that there’s something wrong with Ella.”

“I’m not. I just don’t think it’s serious. I don’t see Carlisle rushing for supplies.”

“You can see Carlisle again?” he asked, in pleasant surprise.

She nodded. “I’m catching glimpses, which I’m assuming is when he is not with Ella.” Alice was nearly bouncing with excitement. “He’s so happy, Jasper.” She looked up at him and rose to her tiptoes to kiss him. “He’s finally happy!”

They didn’t speak much after that, losing themselves for several moments in each other. They only separated when they heard a car turning in their driveway. Not long after, Carlisle walked through the garage door.

“Alice, Jasper.” He greeted each of them with a somewhat detached look. “I’m assuming that I’ve arrived on time?”

“Yep!.” Alice hid her smile as she listened to the second car coming up the driveway. “Our visitor is going to need your attention when they come in.”

“They?” Carlisle raised his brow and listened as a car with what sounded like three people inside it made its way to their house. “You invited friends from school?” he asked, confused.

“Well, in a way,” Alice said evasively. “One of them needs your attention. She fainted, and they were unable to wake her up.”

“So why not bring her, whoever she is, to the hospital?”

“You’ll see in a moment,” Jasper said. He caught sight of the white Camry arriving in their driveway and Carly exiting it along with an unfamiliar man, whom he assumed to be Daniel.

Alice went to open the door just as Daniel pulled Ella out of the car. She was still unconscious, and his worry for her was clear on his face.

Carlisle’s head snapped to look at the scene before him, and things moved very quickly then. The only ones who could see exactly what was happening were Jasper and Alice.

Daniel was thrown back with such force that had Alice not darted to catch him, the Cullens would have had a Daniel-shaped hole in their driveway...or perhaps a really serious mess to clean up.

Carly shouted, “What the fuck—!” when she saw the blond man, whom she assumed to be the doc, snatch Ella and disappear from sight at the same time as she herself was pulled to the side by Jasper.

“Is everyone okay?” Jasper asked, his eyes focusing on Alice, as he stepped back from Carly.

Alice nodded. “Daniel, I assume?”

Daniel nodded, catching his breath.

“Could someone please explain what the hell just happened?” Carly yelled, glancing between Alice and Jasper. “And why isn’t anyone the least bit worried that Mr. Growly-Pushy-Snatchy just took off with my sister?”

“Mr. Growly-Pushy-Snatchy, as you so eloquently put it, reacted the way he did because another male was holding her while she was in a vulnerable condition,” Jasper replied, having felt the rush of emotions that ran through Carlisle.

“Would you mind filling us in on what’s going on?” Daniel asked, his tone only a fraction calmer than Carly’s. He was still partially in shock from the shove he received, not to mention what he had just witnessed. He knew vampires to be strong, knew that this breed was even stronger, but seeing proof of this with his own eyes was nothing short of astonishing.

“She is his mate,” Alice said simply, “his soul mate, and while I would love to invite you in, I think it is better that we leave Carlisle with Ella alone for now. He is going to be a bit territorial for a while.”

“He already is,” Jasper noted. “We better give him some space.”

“He wouldn’t hurt her, would he?” Carly asked as she gazed at the large house that Carlisle and Ella had disappeared into.

“He would hurt himself before he ever laid a finger on her,” Jasper promised her. “To Carlisle, she is the most important person in his existence. He would defend her to his last drop of venom against any threat...and unfortunately, we are currently considered a threat by him.”

Carly was still doubtful.

“Would you let me show you how he feels toward her?” Jasper asked.

“Show me?”

“Jasper has a gift,” Alice intervened. “He can sense what everyone around him is feeling, and he can make you feel what he is feeling.”

“You don’t really need my permission for that, then, do you?” Carly asked.

“I would never influence someone without his or her consent unless it was a matter of life and death.”

Alice gave him a glare at that one. “Are you sure about that statement?”

Jasper chuckled. “You are a different matter, my dear Alinka. If I want to influence you, I will.”

“Before you two start making out, can we get on with the show?” Carly asked dryly.

“Very well,” Jasper said. He smiled as he focused on the emotions he could sense coming from the second floor of the house—protectiveness, concern, love—and then channeled those emotions toward Carly.

Having been told what Jasper can do was still not enough to prepare her for what she felt. She suddenly became worried. The worry was accompanied by a concern for Daniel and a desire to protect him from anything and everything. She thought that she would walk through fire for him at that moment, fight the monster from the labyrinth all over again, alone, if it meant that he was safe. Logically, she understood that these emotions were foreign, that they were not hers, but it didn’t help much. She still crossed the distance between herself and Daniel and hugged him when she was close, ensuring that he was okay. And just like that, the overwhelming onslaught was gone.

She turned to Jasper, her eyes wide. “Is that what he’s feeling right now?”

“That’s a small dose,” Jasper said.

Carly turned speechless for a moment, and then, in true Carly fashion, she cursed out a stream.

Daniel laughed at the stunned expression on Jasper’s face.

“Is she always this colorful?” Jasper asked.

Carly snorted, but Daniel replied, “That was actually mild.”

They got in the car after that, Jasper and Alice riding in the back seat, and drove to Ella and Carly’s house.

Carly watched with attention as Alice and Jasper entered the front door, remembering the protection spell that Ella and she cast all those months ago.

“Let us sit down, and we will tell you everything we can,” Alice offered.

“Sure, this way.” Carly gestured toward the living room.

Carly and Daniel sat down on the couch. Jasper chose to sit on the leather armchair next to it, and Alice sat on his lap, leaning her head on his shoulder as his hand came to rest around her waist. “As you’ve said on the phone, we are not human. We’re vampires. The difference between most vampires and us is that we do not sustain ourselves of off human blood. We hunt animals.” She decided that volunteering this would be the best course of action.

“You mean that as much as you’d love to go nom nom on our asses right now, you won’t, right?” Carly was smiling, so neither vampire took her question seriously.

“Like any vampire, once we are bitten, we remain unchanged forever. There is only one exception—mating. The moment we meet our soul mates, that first contact, is very overwhelming. Jasper?”

“Just like Carlisle, when I first laid eyes on Alice, I refused to acknowledge the connection I felt,” Jasper said. “I told myself that I was unworthy of her, and I tried everything I could to stay away from her.”

“Why wouldn’t you be worthy of her?” Carly frowned.

“Because she was human.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	22. History

**Chapter Twenty-Two – History**

Jasper smiled as he looked up and met Alice’s bright eyes. He could recall with perfect clarity those moments when his life was turned completely upside down and became forever entangled with the life of a young, blue-eyed Anastasia, as she was called back then. “Because she was human,” he said before he began to tell them their story.

o.O.o

_St. Petersburg, June 5 (old style), 1901_

Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was born on a sunny June morning in the royal chambers of the House of Romanov. It had been a long and tiring birth. Her mother, the Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova, slept while the midwife and nanny took care of little Ana, as she came to be known by her friends and family.

She was a sweet-tempered baby, and as she grew up, it was clear that she would become a very pleasant person. The servants secretly favored her out of all of the Tsar’s children. She never threw tantrums like her sisters had done when they were young, and she was never mean to the people around her.

Anastasia’s early years were peaceful. As the youngest sister to Olga, Tatiana, and Maria, and then as an older sister to the young Tsarevich, Alexei—her baby brother and the heir to the throne—Anastasia never really had the full attention of her parents. She grew independent very quickly and found plenty of playmates in the form of her sisters and the children of the servants.

Her playful and pleasant side was hidden from public, though. Duty and proper manners were the first things the young princess learned, so whenever she was in the public eye, she appeared as a serious child. There weren’t many such events while she was young, though. Up until her teenage years, she was mostly just presented at the beginning of any ball or soiree that her parents attended and then rushed out of the way soon after the introductions were over.

Anastasia was fascinated with the music and conversations that she could hear when she sat near the window in her bedchamber. More often than not, she didn’t understand what was being said, but she did not feel so left out when she eavesdropped liked that. Her nanny would scold her for doing so, but Ana couldn’t help it. The world fascinated her, and she wished to travel and know more about it.

It was not meant to be, though. War broke out, and her mother and sisters were both Red Cross nurses who would visit the hospital and the injured soldiers that were there. Too young to be a nurse herself, Anastasia went along to help lift the soldier’s spirits. She was well educated and good-tempered, so if anyone felt like having a good conversation, they found a good partner in her. She also loved to play games, and many soldiers would later tell stories of the princess who had bested them at checkers, lost to them in chess, and laughed through both.

o.O.o

Jasper Whitlock arrived in Moscow shortly after the beginning of the war. He had been wandering about the globe, learning of other cultures, and searching for something for many years now. He left his homeland behind him when the territorial wars of his own kind grew fierce. He had no interest in dominating over others. Frankly, he found the whole concept of having an army around him more a pain in the ass than something to admire. His sire wasn’t happy with his decision, but he was no match to Jasper on the battlefield—nor were any of the newborns his sire had surrounded himself with—so he reluctantly let Jasper go.

Jasper knew that his sire wouldn’t give up on one of his strongest soldiers so easily, so he headed north. Out of mind, out of sight, Jasper thought as he distanced himself from his homeland. He spent several years in Canada but kept feeling drawn to the other side of the world. He knew not what was pulling him, but he had long since learned to trust his instincts, so he followed.

He saw the horrors of the war as it tore Europe apart, and he wondered what on Earth he was doing there. Worse, he found himself walking outside the veteran’s hospital in St. Petersburg on a February evening, attracted to the sounds of chatter and laughter. He called himself a fool ten times over as he was overwhelmed with pain, desperation, and fear—the emotions emanating from the people within. He couldn’t help himself, though. He heard laughter—a sound he would never have associated with such a place—and he wanted to know its origin. He dared not enter the place, for it would have tested his control greatly, but he glanced inside one of the rooms through a window, and his heart—an organ long dead—nearly gave a beat.

That was the first time Jasper Whitlock laid eyes on Anastasia, Great Duchess of Russia. She was sitting on a chair across from a Russian soldier, with a chess set between them. There were several others around them, including her maid—judging from the woman’s subdued posture and uniform—but the atmosphere was one of optimism. For one moment, in the middle of the horrid war, Jasper found happiness.

However, happiness wasn’t the only thing he found when Anastasia lifted her gaze to the window and locked eyes with him.

He was gone before she could even blink, running faster than he ever had. He could not afford to consider what he had just experienced, refusing to believe it could happen. Worse, that it could happen with a human.

He felt his chest tear open inside him as he reached the forested areas of Siberia, and he roared. Falling to his knees, he clawed at the ground, cursing the gods for torturing him like that. She was human. She was royalty. She was much too young. He could never have her, and yet he knew that he would never want another in her stead.

o.O.o

Shortly before Ana’s sixteenth birthday, the revolution of the Bolsheviks finally reached them. She and her family were put under house arrest in Alexander Palace, a favorite palace of the Imperial family located just outside of St. Petersburg. Later, as the Bolsheviks took over larger parts of Russia, the family was moved to Yekaterinburg, where Ana grew somber. Her letters and assignments were filled with thoughts of death. One of her writings was even so alarming that the tutor called the doctor to examine her for depression.

 _She died at sixteen years of age and never loved,_ Anastasia wrote. _He never saw her, yet his heart knew she was his. She saw him in her heart, knew she loved him as well. They never met for the words to be spoken, though, and now she was dead. Their souls would not give up, and even in the next life, they would search the plains until they were reunited forever._

The doctor said that there was nothing to do but to wait, and the tutor never mentioned the poem again. He left Yekaterinburg only a week after that.

Ana’s change in mood had not been overlooked, but there were other matters—more important ones—to worry about, and so she was left to her own accord.

o.O.o

Jasper’s attempts at denying his feelings were useless. Again and again, he found himself being drawn to the woman—no, the _girl_ —he had seen that night. He returned to St. Petersburg soon after leaving, and followed her from afar. When the Imperial family was moved north, he wasn’t far behind. He had to battle his own instincts every step of the way. There was nothing he wanted more than to have her. His instincts were screaming at him, his demon biting and raging against the chains that had been placed on it. Jasper resisted, though. He kept telling himself that she deserved more than what he could ever offer her. She deserved a human partner, one who could give her children and happiness. She did not need the dark life of a vampire, and even though his demon often tormented him with images of her with bright crimson eyes, Jasper pushed the images away as soon as they came. He could not allow himself to entertain the thought of ending her life.

He stayed close to the house where she was being held with her family, and whenever the temptation to take her became too great, he’d venture further into the forest. He was anxious the entire time he was far from her, so those ventures were never long. One night in July, however, he found himself more anxious than ever. He ran back to the house almost as fast as he’d run the first time he saw her. Something was wrong. He could feel it with every cell of his body.

Once he was within hearing range, he heard that the family was awake and on their way to the basement. The guards were telling them that the change of venue was for their safety, but not a moment later Jasper heard the words that propelled him into a fit of fury.

“Tsar Nicholas, you and your family have been found guilty of crimes against the Russian people and are to be executed immediately. Comrades, fire!”

The guns fired before Jasper could make it past the surrounding trees, and he found himself praying for the first time since his transformation.

The bodies were being carried out of the house by the time Jasper reached it. Frantically searching for his mate, he nearly collapsed in relief when he heard her heart beating. The guard that approached her noticed that she wasn’t dead, and he reached for his gun. He never touched it. Jasper snapped his neck before the man could take another breath.

Gathering her in his arms, Jasper realized that there was no longer a choice for him. There was no more time to think about right or wrong. The choice was made for him by the bullets of the Bolsheviks. As he exposed her neck and sank his teeth into her flesh, Jasper felt a fear like nothing he had ever experienced in his entire life. She was already fading, her heartbeat weak, and he did not know if the venom would be enough.

The next three days were spent deep in the forests of Siberia, high in the mountaintops, in a place where humans didn’t travel often. Every scream of agony that came from her, every pang of pain, he felt as his own, and he grew hopeful. His prayers were answered.

On the third day, Anastasia awoke in the arms of her mate, and there was no stopping them from claiming each other as soon as their eyes met.

o.O.o

_Forks, Washington, March 18, 1999_

“If your name is Anastasia, why are you called Alice?” Carly asked. “I mean, the Bull-shocks would have wanted you dead if they found out you were alive back then, but they’re all dead now, aren’t they?”

“Alice was the name of my grandmother,” Alice answered, rolling her eyes at Carly’s butchering of ‘Bolsheviks’. “Since we travel a lot, we can’t always use the same name. I still get to use Anastasia some of the time, but since I’m pretending to be an American, Alice fits better.”

Daniel sat there in silent awe. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. It was impossible, yet it all clicked in a way he couldn’t imagine was accidental. With everything that he’d had to face lately, this seemed like a very small thing, but he was still amazed at the realization of who was sitting with them. _Talk about a walking piece of history,_ he thought.

“Back to the subject of mates,” Jasper said, steering the conversation back to the topic at hand. “Even before Alice was changed, I could not go far from her. My first physical contact was when I changed her, but she could sense when I was around. With my gift, I could tell that she grew calmer when I was close.”

“It was generally a feeling of unease when he wasn’t close to me,” Alice added. “I didn’t know back then what was causing the feeling, but I would grow cold, easily irritated, and sometimes I would even become sleepless.”

Carly and Daniel exchanged looks. The description was a perfect fit for Ella’s behavior, although it was milder than what they’d witnessed with Ella.

“I was better in some ways but worse in others,” Jasper said. “I was able to sense her, so the separation was manageable, but everything inside me was screaming that I needed to be _with_ her. It’s very hard to resist the urge for long, and Carlisle’s been denying himself for months.”

“Let me get this straight.” Carly straightened up and looked Jasper in the eye. “You’re saying that Carlisle is absolutely devoted to Ella right now, that he knew what she was to him, felt these...these urges you’re talking about, and never did anything about it? Why? Is he a coward?”

Jasper held back a growl. “Carlisle is _not_ a coward,” he said through clenched teeth. “He had his own reasons for holding back, just like I had mine. The simple fact is they will not part again. Not for long periods of time, at least, and definitely not any time soon.”

Carly slumped back in her seat, absentmindedly leaning into Daniel. She was afraid that she was going to lose her sister to this creature...this _man_...that they really knew nothing about. She wasn’t too blind to see the happiness in Alice’s and Jasper’s expressions, the absolute devotion they seemed to feel for each other, but was this something that Ella was going to experience, or was already experiencing? Carly wanted Ella to be happy...

“It’s getting late,” Jasper said. “I think that it is best that you rest. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

Alice stood, and Jasper followed. “We will come again in the morning,” Alice said. “How about we bring some fresh croissants and orange juice around ten?”

Carly thought that it sounded heavenly, but she simply nodded her agreement. It would be wise to still be somewhat weary, she thought as she and Daniel escorted Alice and Jasper to the door. They hadn’t shown any inclination to take a bite out of any of them, and the population of Forks hadn’t suffered a rise in mysterious deaths since they’d moved in. That gave them some good credit in Carly’s book, but she would hold back her judgment until she knew more.

“What about Ella?” Carly asked as the four of them stood there with the front door open. “I can’t help but worry about her spending the night with... _him_.” She thought about Jasper’s reaction to her cowardly comment and then decided that refraining from her usual nicknaming would be a smart choice.

“Remember what you felt in our driveway?” Jasper asked in a soothing voice. “Carlisle will not harm her, but I don’t think that either of them would want to be separated tonight.”

Carly sighed. She would allow Carlisle the benefit of the doubt for one night, she decided. She really didn't have much choice in the matter, not with her feeling as drained as she was feeling at that moment. If she didn’t hear from Ella the next day, then she would find a way to rescue her sister, she vowed to herself.

“Try not to worry too much,” Alice said kindly to Carly. “I know that you care about your sister very much, but I promise you that she is absolutely safe.”

She had better be, Carly thought as the door closed behind Alice and Jasper.

o.O.o

Alice and Jasper returned to Carly and Daniel in the morning, bringing croissants and orange juice as promised. Carly felt much better after spending the night in her own bed, and the smell of the pastries had her salivating even before she opened the door.

“Can I just take the pastries and leave you outside?” she asked, only half joking.

Jasper shook his head at this, slowly coming to realize that Carly was like no human he’d ever met before—not that he had spent a lot of time around humans before, but he suspected that Carly was unique nonetheless.

“We go where the croissants go.” Alice lifted the box for emphasis.

“Does that mean you’re going into my mouth, then?”

“Not sure you have the stomach for it.” Alice rolled her eyes when Carly didn’t move. “I might not mind the weather outside, but your croissants are getting cold.”

“Oh, well, I guess you can come in, then.” Carly stepped aside, allowing the two to walk past her. “Daniel, get your lazy ass down here, we’ve got guests!”

Daniel came down the staircase not a minute later, mumbling something about hungry grizzlies being friendlier than certain women.

“Good morning,” he said to the two vampires. He was still hesitant about offering them his hand to shake, so he settled for a friendly smile.

“Good morning,” Alice and Jasper said together.

“Yeah, yeah, can we get to the kitchen so we can eat?” Carly asked. “I’m about to drool standing here and smelling them pastries.”

Daniel rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.

Once all four of them were seated at the kitchen table, Daniel and Carly the only ones with plates in front of them, they resumed the conversation.  
  
“I spoke to Carlisle this morning,” Alice said. “He asked me to tell you that Ella is absolutely fine and that they would be spending the day talking.”

“Talking, eh?” Carly looked unconvinced. “You’d think they’d done enough of _that_ last night.”

Alice chuckled, which made Jasper smile at her.

“Well, at least we know that she is well,” Daniel said, knowing that this was what Carly had been worried about.

“True.” Carly took another bite of her pastry. “So...how about continuing that story for us?”

“Sure,” Jasper replied. “Alice and I traveled extensively our first years together. I hunted animals while I was in the forests of Siberia since there was little else in terms of sustenance. After changing Alice, we stuck to the diet.”

“I felt—and still do—that it would be wrong to take another life to sustain my own,” Alice interjected. “Even as a human, I ate very little meat. It was hard to avoid becoming a murderer, though, especially during my first years as a vampire.”

“Why is that?” Daniel asked, curious.

Alice looked at Jasper, silently telling him that he should answer that.

“When a vampire first awakens after the change, he is often overwhelmed with the sharpening of his senses. At that point in life, we are running mostly on instinct—feed, fight, flee. We are the ultimate predator at the top of the food chain, and we are programmed to see humans as a food source, a very aromatic and delicious food source.” Jasper couldn’t help teasing Carly and Daniel.

Alice rolled her eyes. “Stop scaring the humans,” she quietly chastised him.

“The first time you and Alice saw Ella and me at school, you had a very bad reaction to us. Why?” Carly asked. “I mean, if humans are walking Happy Meals, why the hostility?”

“My reaction was mostly toward Ella,” Jasper said. “As soon as I saw her, my instincts warned me that she was dangerous. I can’t imagine how it is that she can be a danger to me, but the most basic part of me screamed that she was.”

“She _is_ dangerous,” Daniel said, somewhat smugly. “Your instincts had it right.”

“I don’t know.” Alice was hesitant. “That nomad did a pretty good job of nearly killing her back in October.”

“Oh!” Carly straightened. “It was _you_ who brought her to the hospital! To Carlisle! How did you know that she needed help?” Her expression turned suspicious. “Was it a friend of yours who attacked her?”

“No, he wasn’t a friend.” Alice understood where Carly was coming from, but she still felt insulted by the insinuation. “Jasper took care of him that very night, just like we told you later in school.”

“Then how did you know that she needed help?” Carly pressed.

“I...” Alice sighed. “I didn’t know that she was in trouble. There is something we haven’t told you yet. Jasper isn’t the only one with a gift; I have one, too. I can see images of possible futures.”

“You’re psychic?” Daniel asked. “Truly clairvoyant?”

She nodded. “It’s not as accurate as you might imagine. I don’t see everything that is going to happen in every second or for every person we meet. I see possibilities. I can search for something specific if I need to, but for the most part, my visions come when they want to.”

“So you had a vision of Ella being hurt?” Daniel was fascinated.

“Eh...no.” Alice looked sheepishly at Daniel. She recalled the conversation they had had with Carlisle when they first came across Ella and how Jasper thought eliminating Ella was the best solution. “I can’t see Ella’s future, or anything that directly involves her,” she confessed. “What I saw was Carlisle asking to end his own life.”

Jasper hugged her, feeling the traces of fear she had felt. She’d never told him much about that vision, but he knew that it had scared her still.

Daniel looked puzzled. “But they hadn’t even met yet at that point.”

“True, but he would have seen her at some later point,” Alice said. “I can’t tell you where or when, but it wouldn’t have taken more than a glance to break his soul.”

There was a pause after that as everyone took in the information. Carly felt that she was beginning to understand Carlisle’s reaction last night a little better. He had already been faced with almost losing his soul mate. Last night, he must have reacted out of instinct, she thought.

“Ella is much stronger now than she was when you first met,” Daniel said, breaking the silence. “She took down at least one more of your kind that I know of.”

Jasper tensed at that, but then a thought occurred to him, and he smiled. “I think it might be interesting to see just how strong she is.”

“Jasper. Don’t.” Alice glared at him.

“Yeah, Jasper, don’t.” Carly grinned. “Ella’s going to kick your ass.”

“Carly...” Daniel’s tone was reproving. “Finish your orange juice so I can do the dishes.”

“Fine.” Carly sipped the last of her juice before standing up to help Daniel clear the table.

There weren’t that many dishes to wash, so washing them took only a few minutes, and soon they moved to the living room to continue speaking.

“I have a question, if you don’t mind,” Jasper said once they were all seated comfortably.

“Sure,” Daniel replied.

“Are we correct to assume that Ella is a Slayer?”

“Yes.” Daniel nodded.

“A _Vampire_ Slayer,” Jasper clarified.

Again, Daniel nodded.

“No offense, but she can’t be all that successful in her...job,” Jasper remarked. “I mean, her first vamp nearly killed her.”

Hearing that, realization dawned on Daniel and Carly.

“They don’t know, either!” Carly exclaimed. “How do you not know?” She frowned and looked at Jasper and Alice.

“Know what?” Alice asked. “What’s going on here?”

“It does make sense, Carly,” Daniel turned to her.

“How?” she demanded.

“They are stronger.” Daniel nodded at Alice and Jasper. “They wouldn’t have come across the vampires we know about because, even as dumb as vampires are, they know when there’s a stronger predator around.”

Carly thought about it. “It makes sense...but still...”

“Guys?” Alice drew their attention. “Jasper and I would love to know what you’re talking about.”

“Well, from what we were able to learn, there are two...kinds of vampires,” Daniel said. “Up to coming here, we were only aware of one. The kind we know is very different from you two. The first and foremost difference is that they are much weaker physically. They are vulnerable to the sunlight, to crosses, and to holy water. The myth that you can kill a vampire with a wooden stake is absolutely true about them.”

“Most of them are actually pretty dumb, according to Ella at least.” Carly smiled. “There are only a few who are intelligent and powerful enough to become a Master Vampire.”

“What’s a Master Vampire?” Jasper asked.

“A vampire that has his own coven,” Daniel replied. “He is the leader of it and the creator of almost everyone there. The bond between a sire and his childe is very strong—almost as strong as the one you are describing between soul mates—and it is the dominant bond in a coven. Taking up a mate is very rare. A Master Vampire would never take a mere fledgling for one; he’d look for a strong vampire like him—anything other than that would be unworthy of him—but there aren’t that many strong vampires out there.”

“Fledgling? What’s that?” Alice asked.

“It’s a vampire that has been created to serve as a minion in a coven,” Carly answered. “Demon vampires don’t have a newborn stage like the one you told us about. They also don’t have that much up _there_.” She pointed to her temple. “Ella said that they are mostly created to be cannon fodder.”

“Newborns are used for much the same purpose,” Jasper said, thinking back to the violent struggle over territory he’d seen in his younger years as a vampire. “Why did you call them Demon Vampires?”

“Eh...” Carly looked puzzled. “Because they are demons?”

Daniel chuckled and shook his head. “Vampires are soulless creatures. You see, when a human is bitten, a demon takes over the body, but it doesn’t get the soul. That’s gone. No conscience, no regret, no love.”

“No love?” Jasper interfered. “But you said that they do take mates.”

“They do, but they don’t do it out of love. It’s lust and convenience, for the most part. Possessiveness, but nothing more,” Daniel added. “A vampire retains everything that the human had—memories, personality, looks—but the soul is released to the ether, so he is incapable of feeling love.”

Jasper hummed but seemed to be lost in thought.

“Well, our kind is definitely capable of feeling love, deeply so,” Alice said. “How are your Demon Vampires created? By a bite, like us?”

“No, if they were, I’d probably be one of them right now.” Carly shuddered, remembering Alucard’s attack.

“What?” Daniel’s head snapped to look at her. “You were attacked?”

She turned her head to the side to show him the scar from the puncture wound on her neck. “Alucard grabbed me. That’s how Ella and I first met.”

He brought his hand to trace the two round marks. “She said that you got attacked, but I never imagined it was this close.”

“Ella got to me in time.” Carly smiled at the tenderness with which he was touching and looking at her. “I’m fine, really.”

Not looking away from Carly, Daniel said, “The mechanics of creating a Demon Vampire include a large exchange of blood between the vampire and the human. The vampire bites the human, drains him to near death, and then feeds the human his own tainted blood. The human’s heart stops, and the body dies. Twenty-four hours later, the vampire rises with a heartbeat that’s only slightly slower than that of a human.”

“I miss that,” Jasper murmured.

“What?” Carly asked.

“Hearing Alice’s heartbeat.” He smiled as he looked at his wife and mate. “It used to be one of the most important sounds in my existence.”

“You don’t have a pulse?” Daniel stared, stunned.

Alice nodded. “And our bodies are ice cold to the touch.”

“May I?” Daniel asked, leaning forward.

“Sure.” Alice lifted her hand, palm up, for him to touch.

Daniel shivered when his skin made contact with hers. “It’s an unnerving sensation,” he said as he leaned back. “I don’t know for certain, as I’ve never touched a Demon Vampire myself, but I think that they aren’t as cold as you are. Ella would be able to tell you more about this.”

“Speaking about Ella,” Alice said, taking out her cell phone. “How about we call to see if they’re up for some guests?”

* * *

_A huge thank you to Alice and Simaril for encouraging me to create this elaborate history for the character of Alice. You girls rock!_

_I tried to stick to historical facts as much as possible and veer away only when I needed to do so for the sake of the story._

_The titles: **Tsar** , literally meaning _king_ in Russian, is the Emperor of Russia. **Tsarina** , from the Russian word _Tsarevna_ , is the Empress of Russia. **Tsarevich** is the Prince, the Heir to the title of Tsar._

_Historical facts: Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia was the fourth daughter of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova and Tsar Nicholas II. She was born on June 18 (old style: June 5), 1901 and died July 17, 1918 in the execution of her family by the Bolsheviks. During WWI Anastasia used to visit the soldiers in the hospital, as she was too young at the time to be a Red Cross nurse like her mother and sisters had been. She indeed wrote a poem while she was under house arrest, but I took the liberty to paraphrase the wording. All of the places mentioned are true as far as I could ascertain._

_There had been much speculation about Anastasia and Alexei surviving the execution because in the grave that was discovered near Yekaterinburg in 1991, only the bodies of the Tsar, his wife, and three of their daughters were found. These speculations were put to rest in 2008. The missing bodies were found not 100 meters from the grave found in 1991. The remains were positively identified as the fourth daughter and Alexei._

_I hope that you’ve enjoyed this dive into Alice’s history and the explanation about the nature of Demon Vampires._

_Thank you all for reading,_

___Alley Cat._


	23. Soul Mate

**Chapter Twenty-Three – Soul Mate**

Carlisle stopped thinking rationally the moment his eye caught the sight of Ella unconscious in the arms of another man. It was the same man whose arms she had thrown herself into the last time he’d seen either of them, the same man—he suspected—whose name she’d whispered in the middle of the night when he’d sneaked in to see her. Jealousy, protectiveness, and rage swirled inside him, and his beast was freed from its shackles.

He grabbed his mate’s limp body, pushing away the man who dared put his hands on her, and darted with her back inside the house. He couldn’t tolerate the thought of another man touching her, and he was especially irritated that something was obviously wrong with her. She was completely limp in his arms, and now that Carlisle had her in his care, his first priority was her welfare.

His medical training was kicking in even as he was trying to decide if he should place her on his bed or keep her in his lap. He couldn’t bring himself to part with her, he eventually decided, so he sat down on the armchair in his bedroom and held her to him. He needed to feel her skin, and something primal inside him told him that she needed the same.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her body tightly to his. Once he had one hand on her arm and the other on her thigh, just where the skirt ended, he buried his face in the curve of her neck. Inhaling deeply, he tasted the scent that had been haunting his memories for months. He wanted her scent all over his body, wanted it to mix with his own until they were inseparable.

Her heartbeat was slowly picking up, Carlisle noted with satisfaction. He continued to nuzzle her neck, and slowly his lips began kissing her, nibbling on the delicate skin. He couldn’t help it; he needed to taste her skin more than he needed anything else at that moment. One of his hands came down from her back to trace the shape of her body, down to her thighs, and all the way to her small feet.

Ella gave a soft sigh as her dark world was rid of the chill that had seemed to seep in so deep that it had ingrained itself into her bones. She became warm again. More than warm, she felt cherished, adored...loved. She thought she was dreaming again, as the sensations were so like the dream she had had the night before. His caresses were gentle yet eager. She could feel his touch everywhere—on her back, on her thighs, on the toes of her feet. She smiled when she sensed his mouth latching onto her neck, and she leaned to the side, inviting him to touch more of her.

Carlisle gave a small growl of satisfaction at his mate’s submission. He had already rid her of her boots when they stood in the way of his exploration of her legs and feet. With quick, impatient movements, he pushed her jacket off her shoulders and began unbuttoning the white blouse she wore beneath it.

Ella did not open her eyes when he pushed the jacket off her shoulders. She was afraid that if she did, he’d disappear, leaving her alone and cold again. She leaned into his chest—a wide, warm, comfortable plane of muscles—and breathed in the clean scent that was purely him. It was stronger, more intoxicating this time, and she hummed her approval.

A rumble came from deep inside him, sounding somewhere between the guttural growls a predator would make and the soft purring of a kitten. Her breath on his neck felt warmer than anything he had ever sensed in his long life. He couldn’t bring himself to finish unbuttoning her blouse with care. His fingers ached to know the warmth of the small, firm breasts the fabric concealed.

Ella giggled when she heard—and felt—her blouse being torn to shreds and her bra following suit. He was hungry for her, she realized. Unconsciously, she began to kiss his neck, tracing the hard column down to his shoulder and giving it a small bite. He tasted better than he smelled. It was like someone had designed him to her taste buds’ exact wishes. She pulled herself up and grabbed the nape of his neck. She hardly noticed the silkiness of his hair; her focus was his shoulder, his neck, his skin...

There was nothing gentle about the roar Carlisle gave when she tore the light grey button-up he was wearing off his back. When she pulled herself up—her thigh rubbing against the hardness in his slacks, her naked breasts flattening against his equally bare chest—he nearly came undone. He felt lightheaded, even though he knew it to be impossible. He could no longer tell where anything was other than his mate. Her scent engulfed him like a warm blanket. The sensation of her teeth scraping at his collarbone brought on a constant rumbling from his beast. The warmth of her body pressed into him, her nipples hard with want.

Carlisle shot up from the armchair, and Ella’s arms around his neck and torso held her to him. His hands cradled her, protectively pressing her to him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and crossed her ankles behind his back. She smiled as she traced his collarbone again in small nibbles that rose up his neck to his ear. This dream was so vivid, she thought as she sucked his earlobe into her mouth and gave it a not-so-gentle bite. She laughed when he growled again. She loved that sound, could almost feel it building from the depths of his belly to his throat.

Kicking off his shoes, Carlisle laid Ella on the sheets and hovered above her. His mouth was attracted to the dusty pink peaks of her breasts instantly. Opening his mouth wide, he took almost the entire globe in. His hand palmed her other breast, gently massaging it in matching motions to those he was making with his mouth. She arched beneath him, and he slid his other hand under her, pressing her much smaller figure to him.

“Yes,” she whispered, throwing her head back.

Her voice, barely audible amongst the thundering of the blood in her veins, the beating of her heart, and the heavy panting of her breaths, was enough to bring him back to his senses. Carlisle switched to the other breast, making sure that his movements were softer this time. He still wanted to swallow her whole, but the redness he could already see forming on her skin should be avoided. He refused to leave any marks on his mate that would testify to his lack of control. The only marks he wanted on her were those of pleasure.

Ella pressed his head closer, arching her back to offer her body to him. It was too good to be a dream, she thought as she opened her eyes hesitantly. The desire flowing through her body at that moment was as hot and pressing as the adrenaline that would flow through her when she was faced with a fight. This was a different kind of battlefield, one she had never faced before; yet her body knew exactly what to do here, just like it knew how to react when she was in danger. Trusting her instincts, she gave in. This was the man she had seen countless times in her dreams. His caresses felt familiar rather than foreign, and every sensation was so much more powerful than what her dreams had shown her.

Her breasts were growing a bit too sensitive under the attention he was lavishing upon them, but she was torn between wanting to have more of the pleasure and aching from the over stimulation.

Almost unwillingly, he detached his mouth from her breasts and kissed the skin beneath them. He found—with no small amount of satisfaction—that he could read her reactions almost as if she had spoken them aloud.

She closed her eyes again when he began tracing her ribs with small kisses. He smiled when she grew so impatient that she growled at him. He rose to her lips then, but he hesitated until she opened her eyes to look at him. The blue was almost gone, her eyes taken over by their dilating irises. His golden ones were just as dark as he looked at her.

Ella was taken aback at the pause in his touch, but opening her eyes, she understood. Something deep within her instincts recognized him, overriding her mind, when she looked at the man above her. She felt herself smile; it was uncontrollable. The devotion and adoration she could see in his expression were an echo of what she had felt when he’d touched her before. He answered with a smile of his own. It was small on his lips, but when she looked into his eyes again, there was a spark in them, happiness.

He kissed her then, and she moaned upon first contact with his mouth. She’d dreamed about it, both in waking hours and at night, but every notion she had had about his kiss up until that point paled in comparison.

She answered the slow demands of his mouth with innocent eagerness. His beast was pleased. His mate was his to teach; _he_ would be the one to show her the wonders of her own body. And he was more than a willing teacher.

Carlisle took her upper lip between his, licking the sensitive flesh. She moaned again and sucked on his bottom lip like he wanted her to do. Angling his mouth slightly, he switched and took her bottom lip into his mouth. He had enough sense left to keep himself from biting down on the delicious swell of her lips and drawing blood, but he could not hold back the intensity with which he kissed her. She grew bolder, exploring his mouth with her tongue and sucking his. Her entire body participated, arching and pressing into his. Her hands dropped from his hair to his back, and she raked her fingers across the muscles there.

He began to lose himself in her kiss. She was learning quickly how to drive him mad with desire, and his beast was growling at being dominated. He pulled away to look down at her with pure onyx eyes, a wicked smile spreading across his lips. She looked torn between passion and frustration.

Carlisle threaded his fingers with hers and brought her hands above her head, leaning on his elbows. She showed no fear; in fact, her eyes were alight with challenge. He chuckled—a husky sound, heavy with desire—and leaned down to whisper near her ear, “I love the taste of your mouth.”

She shuddered beneath him as his breath—and words—sent tingles down her spine. She was about to reply in kind, but he began licking the skin behind her ear—a place she had no idea could bring her so much pleasure—and her words were forgotten.

Ella wrapped her legs around him once again; this time it was not to keep hold of him, as it was when he’d stood up from the armchair, but to turn them around so she was on top. She could feel the rising temper of the Slayer within at the clear disadvantage of her position. As pleasurable as it was, her instincts were screaming in protest.

Carlisle noted her trying to take control and smiled. She was not as passive as he’d first suspected. She would challenge him, demand that he showed her he was worthy of her strength. He parted his lips and gave her a gentle bite on the shoulder, licking the area and turning the bite into a kiss immediately after. His mate would soon learn that he had better ways of taking control of the situation than using brute force. He could feel the strength in her legs, which were wrapped around him, and his mind was filled with dozens of possibilities.

Her attempt to turn their positions was all but forgotten at the pleasure his mouth was bringing her, and as soon as she stopped trying to flip them, his hands released hers. The Slayer was still angry at the temporary defeat, but her appreciation for the man grew. Both sides of Ella—the woman and the Slayer—loved the strength of this man and admired his ability to bring so much pleasure to her body. She felt no fear from that strength, though, for he had shown her already that he would be kind, that he knew the limits of her body and respected them.

“I can’t wait to see how much strength you have hidden in this amazing body of yours,” he murmured as he splayed his hands on her back and caressed her down to her thighs. He leaned back on his heels, and she sat up with him, her hair cascading down her back.

Carlisle decided that he had never seen anything so tempting in his life. She looked both wanton and innocent all at the same time. He was the reason her cheeks were tainted with pink. His mouth was responsible for the slight swell of her lips.

She pulled his head toward her, and just before their mouths met in another kiss, she whispered, “I could take you with both hands tied behind my back.”

He growled at the words, and his kiss was less gentle this time. The imagery she had created in his mind was not the one she had meant to, he thought when he pictured her hands tied, her eyes blazing with desire and challenge. He would keep that in mind, he decided. There would be time for them to try many things, and he even found himself contemplating giving her full control over him. He knew that anything they did together would be nothing short of mind-blowing, and he wanted to have it all. As it were, at the moment, he found himself enjoying her hands as she used them to touch his skin wherever she could reach.

Never breaking their kiss, he reached for the zipper of her skirt and drew it down. Laying her on her back again, he rolled them to the side to push the garment off of her. His hands returned to her derrière instantly. The soft fabric of her underwear was too thin to really mask the feel of her curves, and he loved the feel of her in his palms.

Ella cried out when his mouth came down to her shoulder and he pressed her against the part of his body that was large and hard for her. It felt too good, too strong. She could feel herself growing anxious, excited, but she did not know for what. Everything he had done to her so far was pleasurable, so she didn’t doubt that whatever was to come would be just as good, but she couldn’t stop the sliver of apprehension that went through her when he reached for his belt and began undressing himself.

Carlisle threw his slacks to the other side of the room and rolled them over again, this time cradling himself between her thighs. He felt the new tension in her body; her fear was inevitable. She would be his completely, he knew, but there was all the time in the world to make her first venture into the world of carnal pleasure an earth-shattering experience. Fear would always be present, he thought as he once again lowered his mouth to her chest, especially when the unknown was so intimate. He began kissing her skin softly, cupping her breasts and licking her nipples until they glistened with his venom. He would just have to make sure that the most prominent thing on her mind was pleasure.

Desire soon replaced her apprehension as he moved down her body. Unable to reach his back, she settled for exploring his shoulders. His skin felt so soft, but the muscles it covered were hard, unmoving under her fingers. Thoughts of his strength made her smile again. He would be a great ally in a fight, she thought, an asset and a formidable foe; but when she felt his mouth planting kisses just above her panty line, her mind scattered.

Carlisle hummed in satisfaction as he traced kisses down her belly. She was already absorbing his scent; her skin glistened with his venom. He listened with delight as his mate whimpered when he breathed over her sex. He could smell her arousal so strongly from his perch between her parted thighs that he could almost taste her on his tongue already. It wasn’t enough, though.

He hooked his fingers in the fabric of her underwear and began sliding them down her long legs. He kissed her hipbones, licked the slight indentations where her thighs met her pelvis, and moved down along with the garment.

He knew she would be nervous about her state of undress before him, so he set his mind to distracting her. Even after she was completely naked before him, he did not rush. Carlisle began to suspect that he had become addicted to everything about her. The taste of her, her scent, the curves of her body, they had lured him in, and he was a willing prisoner. There would never be anyone but her for him, just as there would never be anyone but him for her.

Ella was ready to scream as he made his way up her legs. She had been taut and on the verge of madness ever since his lips touched her ankle, licking the indentation under the connection of the bone. By the time he paused on her thigh, she was burning, on the verge of aching.

Carlisle smiled at the sound of her pleasured cries. Only then did he move to spread her thighs wider for him and allowed himself the first true taste of her. He found no words to describe her taste on his tongue, so he focused himself on giving her as much pleasure as she was giving him.

Her lips parted in a silent cry of pleasure as she arched her back, her shoulders leaving the sheets completely. It was too much. She no longer knew what he was doing to her body—only that it felt too good for words. His tongue was more textured than his fingers, and when he licked the most sensitive area of her body, she could hardly breathe. Every pass he made was like a shock of electricity, bringing forth sounds from her she never knew herself capable of making.

Carlisle worked her into a frenzy of desire, so when he inserted one long digit inside her, he knew that she wouldn’t feel any pain at the stretching. She did tighten around him, but when he pulled his finger out and inserted two, her body welcomed him. Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow, but he heard her soft whispered, “Yes.”

He made sure not to remain in one area for too long, as that would only irritate the area rather than please her. He began moving his fingers in and out of her. He desperately wanted to sheathe himself in her warmth, to feel the strong muscles that were gripping his fingers do the same to another part of his anatomy, but he held himself under tight control. She had to come first, he thought, nearly chuckling when he realized the double meaning of the words.

She began to whimper, her body strung tightly on the verge of ultimate pleasure. Noticing this, he moved his mouth to the most sensitive collection of nerves at the top of her sex and curled his fingers inside her.

Ella screamed. The sound was one of half surprise and half pleasure. The tightness that had captured her body since the moment she opened her eyes to see him was suddenly released. It was so unexpected when the prior tension seemed to last forever, but she couldn’t imagine anything feeling better than this.

The pulsations of her body around his fingers made him groan as he gently eased them out of her. He had heard the surprise in her shout and enjoyed the confirmation of her inexperience. Planting soft kisses on her hipbone once again, he rid himself of his last cover. He felt something inside him swell when he heard her giggling as the last remnants of her orgasm left her body.

Her eyes were closed when he looked at her face, her body limp, and he treasured the satisfied and relaxed expression on her delicate face. He brought one hand between them to position himself between her now swollen lips, but he did not move to complete the union just yet; instead, he kissed her.

She felt him ready to slide into her body. He was much larger than what his fingers had felt like, and just like that, the tension and fear returned, bringing with them a different kind of tightness to her limbs. She answered his kiss, but part of her mind was focused on the impending intrusion to her body.

It was almost too easy for him to control himself then. He felt her apprehension as though it was his own, and that gave him the strength to put his needs aside. He slid slightly lower and poured all of his emotions into the kiss—his love, his admiration, his devotion, his eternal promise to protect her. Slowly, he felt her body relax under his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers threading themselves in his hair, and she began to respond to him again.

He moved to her jaw line and then from there to her ear, and Ella willingly tilted her head back for him. She loved his kisses. She shivered when he took her earlobe between his lips like she had done to him earlier, and she whimpered when he nibbled on her collarbone. She felt his hand moving between them and his fingers sliding inside her again. The sensation was familiar now, and the tightening in her belly did not delay in following.

When his fingers were suddenly gone, she groaned in protest. It was no more than a half-hearted groan, though, because he kissed her then and replaced his fingers with his body. He knew that she was as ready as she would ever be, and he chose that moment to finally claim her as his.

Ella felt nothing but a slight tug at the intrusion, and then her entire being filled with rightness. She felt impossibly full—and hungry. It was nearly physical, the hunger she suddenly had for the man that had united them. The need was stronger than it had been before, wilder.

Carlisle roared when she bit him—hard—on his shoulder at the same moment he joined them. He could smell the minute trace of blood that resulted from their union, and that scent had already put his beast on the verge of taking over. Her bite was all it took for him to lose control. He latched his mouth to her neck and began rocking in and out of her body. He placed his strong hands on her rear to press her up to him with each thrust of his pelvis.

She moaned at the sucking motion of his mouth on her skin, but when he began moving inside her, her world began to shatter. A carnal need for him took over her senses. She wanted to possess him and to be possessed by him. She wanted to mark him as hers and kill anyone who dared approach him. He was hers, she thought with a growl.

His beast grinned at her possessiveness, and her growl was answered with one of his own. She was now wrapped around him, her legs crossed behind his back, and she bucked into him each time he pulled out. Her fingers curled on his back, and he could feel her nails scratching the skin. She was almost strong enough to leave marks, and he found himself wishing that she could.

Ella whimpered in frustration as she grew closer to her release again. She both wanted and needed more. It was all too much and too little at the same time.

Carlisle moved to the other side of her neck and slid his hand between them. He could feel his control leaving him as her pleasure grew, and he refused to leave her behind when he gained satisfaction. He reached just above their connection and searched blindly for that most sensitive spot of hers. When he felt her tightening around him, heard her gasping for air, he knew that he’d found what he was looking for.

She was familiar with the sensation now, the gnawing need for release, and she welcomed it when it came. Her head fell back and the orgasm took over, stronger and longer than before.

She never felt the bite on her neck.

 

* * *

_I hope that you've enjoyed the reunion of Ella and Carlilse. The next chapter will be up on July 18th.  
_

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	24. Intertwined

**Chapter Twenty-Four – Intertwined**

Carlisle knew not where he had gotten the strength to pull away before the change was initiated, but as soon as the powerful taste of her blood reached the back of his throat after that first pull, he recoiled. Her blood continued to flow, staining the sheets beneath her. He brought his mouth back to her neck then and licked the area closed. The blood that had flowed from the wound had washed any venom that had been introduced to her system via his bite, and the minute trace of venom he had used to seal the mark was not enough to harm her or initiate the change. The place would probably be sore for a while, he thought, but she wouldn’t be burning for the next three days in horrible pain.

_And I won’t be tormenting myself for the rest of my existence_ , he thought as he looked at the peaceful expression on Elleanora’s face.

She was turned toward him, cuddled into his body even in her sleep. Her scent was slightly different now, and Carlisle smiled as he tasted this new aroma in the air. It was still her—and it was still extremely appealing to him on all levels—but now it had some of his own scent intermixed in there. Her skin smelled like him from all the kisses he had laid upon it. Her blood was absorbing the trace amount of venom he had introduced into it. And if her scent was not enough, the crescent-shaped scar at the base of her neck—just where it met her shoulder—was the final seal. She was his.

Carlisle kissed that scar now, watching as the skin around the bite changed colors slowly. From red, it turned to a bluish purple. As the hours passed, it faded into yellow before disappearing completely just as the first rays of dawn filtered in through the windows.

He turned to lie on his back, and Elleanora did not wake as he shaped her into a more comfortable position. She only stirred briefly to push her face into his throat and tangle a hand in his hair. Carlisle held her to his side with one hand and caressed the leg she had thrown over his with the other, enjoying the smoothness of her skin. He kissed the top of her head once and let his hand trace the supple curve of her derrière. He kept his touch soft, not wanting to wake her but unable to get enough of her, and continued to study every curve of her back.

When Carlisle felt her hand moving down his chest, he thought she had awoken, especially when she did not stop at his abdomen but kept moving her fingers until she reached between his legs. He had been partially aroused throughout the night, and at the first touch of her hand, he hardened and groaned. He brought his hand down to cover hers, intending to stop her movements before he took her in her sleep, but instead found himself encouraging her.

Ella thought herself dreaming again as she smelled that enticing aroma that was _him_. She smiled and nuzzled deeper into the source of the smell. She hadn’t consciously decided to kiss him, but her lips were already attached to his throat, licking and sucking on his skin. Her fingers were curled around that part of his anatomy that had brought her so much pleasure before, and she was filled with the most amazing sensation of pride when he responded to her touch instantly. She hesitated when his hand covered hers, but he did not stop her. He began growling under his breath in a way that appealed to the very basic part of her. She scraped her teeth against his neck then, remembering how much he had liked it the last time she had done so.

Carlisle felt her smile against his neck and knew that she was no longer asleep. Feeling her teeth on his neck spurred him into lifting her from his side and placing her astride his thighs. He pressed her down, penetrating the heat of her body and causing her to throw her head back in a cry that was part surprise and part groan of pleasure. He paused then and waited for her to look at him again.

When Ella looked down at him, the blond waves of his hair were ruffled, a stark contrast to the dark blue of the pillow and sheet beneath him. His cheekbones were just as sharp as his jawline. His lips were a soft pink color, full and curved in a sensual smile. His eyes were once again filled with passion, dark and captivating. She did not think as she leaned down to kiss him—those lips were calling to her—and the movement caused a sharp jolt of carnal pleasure to form between her legs.

She mewled into his mouth, and he drank the cries of pleasure, kissing her until she couldn’t think, much less breathe. He moved to her shoulders and then down to her breasts, and she instinctively began rocking her hips. It took only seconds for her to sit up straight and set a frenzied pace, her head thrown back as she took pleasure in his body.

Carlisle watched with fascination as the beautiful creature that was his soul mate gave herself over to her passion. Her body was lean and muscular—muscles that he could feel gripping him deliciously with each movement of her pelvis—and he was absolutely enthralled by her. She was moving in deliberate motions, with no hesitation. In the three-and-a-half centuries of his life, he had never seen anything more beautiful than his Elleanora in the throes of passion.

He felt her quivering, listened as her breath grew shallower and her heartbeat faster, and gritted his teeth as she contracted around him in the most delicious way. He did not wait for her to fall from the high of her peak; instead, he sat up and latched onto the pink nipple that had been taunting him as she rode him. He licked the sensitive skin, moistening it with his venom, and when he took it into his mouth, his gaze locked with hers. She was looking down at him with amazement and desire, but her rhythm never faltered.

Ella thought she had never seen anything more sensual than her lover with his mouth on her skin. She was still breathing heavily from her orgasm, and she could feel another one beginning to build inside her. Letting her head fall to his shoulder, her eyes closed, and she gave in to the sensations coursing through her.

Carlisle felt her shudder above him and groaned as his own climax took over him. He held her tightly to him as they both panted for breath. The position of her head on his shoulder revealed her neck—and the scar on it—to him. Unconsciously, he found himself kissing the patch of raised skin and humming.

Ella slowly regained her breath and felt her mind clear for the first time in what felt like months. Slowly opening her eyes, she was shocked to perfect stillness at what she saw. She was in a bedroom that she had only previously seen in her dreams, with a man that she had only ever seen in those same dreams. Her body was feeling odd, satisfied, well-worked, and just a little sore. Most of the soreness was in her thighs and in her neck.

Realization hit her as soon as the facts set in, and she shot up to find herself straddling him. Horrified and shocked, she rolled off him and left the bed. A quick glance around the room told her where the adjoining bathroom was, and she darted there before Carlisle could stop her. She slammed the door behind her and reached for the lights. The panic was raw in her veins, turning her movements jagged. She wasn’t surprised to find her eyes wide when she saw her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

Ella raised one hand to her neck and took a step toward the mirror to see the scar that hadn’t been there before last night—or was it longer? She was still fuzzy on the details. The last thing she remembered clearly was feeling so weak that her legs couldn’t hold her. After that, there were only memories of the man. _Carlisle_. She knew his name, knew his touch, and knew his body almost better than she knew her own. The thought made her blush, making her paled and panicked expression slightly more normal in shade.

Taking several deep breaths, she listened for the one sound that she feared she would never hear again—her heartbeat. Nearly crumbling to the white-tiled floor when she heard it, Ella breathed out a long, relieved sigh. Whatever else he may have done to her during their time together, he hadn’t turned her into a demon.

Calm enough now to look around her, Ella noted that the room appeared to be exceptionally clean for a man’s bathroom. The sink beneath the mirror was white and sunken in the grey marble counter top. There was a shower in the corner behind her, and a toilet—with the seat down, she noted—in the other corner. The bathroom set was as white as the sink, but the walls were tiled in pale blue, which kept the room from looking too bright. There were a couple of blue fluffy towels hanging on a rail next to the shower, and Ella decided that she could really use a shower.

There was a small window on the wall above the toilet seat, and she was already considering its width in relation to her body. Before she could talk herself into doing something really stupid, Ella walked inside the shower. The water was warm and pleasant against her skin, but she found her hands shaking. Unconsciously, tears began to fall from her eyes as she slid down the wall to hug her knees close to her chest. This was all too much to handle. She would have given everything she could just to be able to turn back time, to be in her old house in Phoenix, where the only problems she had to face were school and her clothes and which boys liked her.

Her body began to ache. Her stomach turned, her head spun, and she couldn’t see clearly when she opened her eyes. She barely made it to the toilet in time, throwing up loudly what little food was still in her stomach.

o.O.o

Carlisle did not dart after her to the bathroom only because he had half expected her to panic. Now that his mind was no longer a slave to his instincts—even though they were still not too far from the surface—he was able to hold back. He listened to the sound of her racing heart coming from behind the closed door of the bathroom. It slowed down a bit, he noted as he rose from the bed. When he heard the sound of water running, he turned to change the sheets.

The simple task only kept him busy for several seconds. His mind was still running through everything that had happened in the last twelve hours, marveling over every amazing detail. He couldn’t deny his happiness in knowing that he had found her, tasted her, claimed her, even as he still worried about her reaction. He had just finished placing the blanket back on the bed when he heard a sudden rise in her heartbeat, followed by her throwing up.

Carlisle darted to the bathroom, not thinking about anything past his Elleanora. She was on her knees in front of the toilet, heaving. He kneeled beside her, placing one hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach. He could detect no fever, and he knew that she hadn’t eaten anything lately, so food poisoning was also out of the question. He could almost feel her emotional turmoil himself, so he simply held her hair away from her face and offered her his support.

Ella hadn’t heard him come in, but when she felt his touch, it was like her world suddenly became right again. Her head stopped spinning, and after getting rid of everything she had inside her, the nausea went away as well. His touch was only slightly colder than her skin, and it was so gentle that she found herself smiling. He helped her up and to the sink to wash her face, and she felt no discomfort in letting him do so. If anything, she thought, his touch was helping her body regain its posture.

“Do you still want to take a shower?” he asked in a quiet tone.

Ella looked up at his reflection in the mirror—somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that she hadn’t expected him to even have one—and was surprised to see the concern in his expression. She nodded, unable to form words at the moment. She was still more than a little shocked. Usually, when someone touched her the way he was now, she felt an inexplicable urge to throw them off; yet there was nothing but the desire to cuddle deeper into his hold as he walked her to the shower.

Neither spoke as they stood under the stream of the water and looked into each other’s eyes. Both of them felt so much that words eluded them. Carlisle reached for the soap, poured some into the palm of his hand, and began washing her body.

Ella felt herself relax under his touch. He was so gentle that she felt silly for being afraid before. Something inside her told her that this man would never hurt her. She felt herself growing aroused as his hands slid down her tummy to her legs, and she could see that she was having a similar effect on him. His touch did not falter, though. As he stood up and rinsed her from the soap, there was nothing but care in everything he did.

She returned the favor, and Carlisle found no will to object. He knew that she noticed her effect on him—it was hard not to—but she seemed to need support rather than passion at the moment, so he kept his beast at bay.

Carlisle smiled at the curious expression he could see on her face as she explored his body, and he felt very encouraged that things might not be as complicated as he had worried they might be. He could hear that they were still alone in the house, and he was happy for it. He wanted no audience to the conversation he knew was coming. It would be easier on her if she knew that no one was listening, and there was nothing more important to him than her, not anymore.

As they exited the shower, instead of handing her the towel, he used it himself to dry her body, making her giggle.

Ella’s breath hitched when he looked up at her. He was still smiling, but the look on his face and the happiness she could see there were absolutely breathtaking. Her instincts were telling her that her life was forever changed, forever entangled with this man standing before her. They had never failed her before, she thought to herself as he wrapped the large towel around her, could it be that they were right now as well?

Carlisle wrapped the other towel around his waist and walked with Ella to his bedroom. He noticed that she became nervous again and turned to his closet to pull out one of his shirts.

“Here.” He handed her the shirt he had just pulled out. “I’m afraid that your blouse didn’t survive last night. I’m sorry.”

Ella chuckled at the expression he had on his face. He was trying to look remorseful, but he was smiling with such satisfaction that he didn’t look sorry at all. “Thank you.”

He turned then to grab a pair of boxers, and she used the opportunity to put the shirt on and lose the towel. As she buttoned down the shirt, she thought that it was long enough to cover her decently.

Carlisle put on a pair of black jeans and took their towels to the bathroom, hanging them to dry. When he returned to the room, he saw Ella picking up her skirt and jacket from the floor. His white button-down shirt was almost transparent in the bright light of the sun that was coming in through the windows. Her body was outlined perfectly, and the soft glow around her made him think of angels. He laughed at the thought.

Ella turned around when she felt him watching her and blushed when she realized that he was looking at her hungrily. He wanted her, and if she were being honest with herself, she found an answering hunger rising within her, too. Pulling the belt from her skirt, she wrapped it around her to form a dress out of the shirt she was wearing. She had no desire to put her underwear from the night before back on, so she slid them between her skirt and jacket.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, disappearing through the door before she could respond.

Ella folded her clothes on the armchair, her entire body heating up with the memories of what had transpired there not too long ago, and listened as he murmured something too quiet and too fast for her to pick up. She could hear no one else in the house, yet Carlisle paused in his speech as though listening to a reply, so she surmised that he was speaking to someone over the phone.

While he was preoccupied, Ella took the time to look around the room. The bed was on her right—the sheets had been changed, she noted—and the closet was to her left. There were two small nightstands on either side of the bed; each had a small lamp on it and nothing else. Across from the bed, on the wall opposite the closet, was the large window that was letting the morning light in. The drapes—a soft cream color that matched the carpet—were pushed open, and she could see that there was a wooden balcony overlooking the forest. The window must be a sliding door, she thought as she walked over to it.

Carlisle walked back in the room just in time to see her standing with her face to the glass. Again, he was amazed to see how beautiful she was in the sunlight. He felt a tug in his chest and walked over to her, unable to resist the pull he felt toward her. She sighed in contentment when he slid his arms around her waist, pulling himself flush behind her. He felt elated that—despite their differences—she seemed to feel the connection between them.

Ella turned in his embrace and looked up at his smile. It did something to her, deep in her chest. She had no name for the feeling, but she decided that she liked it.

“I imagine that there are many questions you have for me,” he said, cupping her cheek.

“A few.”

He nodded, accepting. “I have a few of them myself, but I would like you to eat breakfast before we start answering them.”

She looked at him curiously. “Breakfast sounds good, but...I don’t think that I share your diet.”

Carlisle smiled. “I don’t imagine that you do. Alice apparently anticipated my request, and when I called her a few minutes ago, she said that there are some basic breakfast foods in the kitchen. I’m afraid you’d have to do the actual cooking, though. I haven’t cooked a single meal in my life.”

Ella raised a brow at him. “Not even when you were human?”

_So she knows that much,_ he thought. It was one hurdle he was glad he wouldn’t have to worry about any longer. “I was born in sixteen thirty-nine, at a time when men were never seen inside a kitchen unless they were servants, which I was not. Since I was changed, I have had no need of food.”

“So what were you?”

“The son of a preacher man.”

She giggled. “The only boy who could ever reach me was the son of a preacher man?”

He smiled tenderly. “I already know that I am the only one who ever reached you.”

Ella felt herself blush, and she looked away. “You were saying something about breakfast?”

“Yes. Allow me to show you the way.”

They held hands as they went out of his bedroom, down the stairs, and toward the kitchen. Ella noted that the pale peach color seemed to be a theme around the house, just like the large windows; most of the walls that turned toward the forest were made of large glass windows. Everything was very...spacious, she thought. There was little furniture other than the bare minimum, and she could see nothing personal. The house looked like something taken out of a magazine, and Ella wasn’t sure she liked it. It didn’t look like anyone was living here, and that made her sad for some reason. She paused to think about it as he led her to an equally stylish and impersonal kitchen. His bedroom could also have been taken straight out of a magazine. The only thing that was out of place there were her clothes and boots.

She found everything she needed in the kitchen with ease. She was almost afraid to touch anything, as it was so clean.

“It’s nice to see the kitchen being used,” Carlisle commented from his seat on a barstool next to the island in the middle of the kitchen.

She paused halfway through cracking an egg and turned to look at him. She wasn’t sure what he was trying to say. Was that a compliment? An observation? Wishful thinking on his part that she would continue to use the kitchen in future times?

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, each wondering what to say next. When the butter began to sizzle in the pan Ella had placed on the stove, she turned to it and cracked the egg into the pan.

When she was done making her breakfast—a simple omelet, toast, and orange juice—she sat across from him and said, “Okay, I’m not going to sit around and ignore the pink elephant in the room. You bit me. I want to know why.”

Shocked at her direct approach, Carlisle found himself gaping at her. “You’re not one to mince words, I see.”

“Uh-uh.” She took a bite from her toast and looked at him expectantly.

“It was instinctual, not intentional,” he began. “Vampires are territorial, especially when it comes to their mates. When a vampire finds his mate, the urge to mark her is irresistible.”

“So, it’s the equivalent of a stamp on my forehead.” Ella glared at him.

Carlisle didn’t flinch. “No. The stamp on your forehead would be my scent all over you.”

She choked on her bite of omelet. “Someone really has to tell you vampires that the whole smelling thing is gross.”

“I like being able to detect your unique scent.” Getting up from where he sat, he circled the island, never taking his eyes off of hers. “I like it that I can smell myself on you and you on me.”

Ella was captivated by the sudden fire she saw in his eyes. Her breakfast forgotten, she turned to him as he came to stand between her knees.

“I absolute love the fact that your scent would tell everyone you are mine.” His voice turned into a growl as he pushed her hair off her shoulders and leaned toward her. “I cannot even begin to tell you how good it feels to see my mark on your skin,” he whispered near her ear.

She closed her eyes and moaned, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. She shivered when he skimmed his nose along the side of her neck and kissed her scar. She was breathing more heavily now, taking deep gulps of air that was saturated with his scent.

“I can smell how much you want me right now...and I think that you like my scent just as much as I like yours.” He straightened up and looked into her eyes. “I want to take you here and now. I want to drop to my knees and bathe you in my scent until you scream my name.”

Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow, and she couldn’t look away from him. At that moment, she didn’t care that she still had questions. She felt her entire body ache for him to turn his words into actions.

Carlisle had to forcefully pull himself away before he did exactly what he’d said and more. He had been around newly-mated couples before, so he wasn’t completely shocked at the sexual appetite he’d seemed to have developed overnight. His inner demon demanded that he forget about the talking and move on to satisfying its more carnal desires, but he was placated when he thought about the fact that there would be plenty of time for that later.

Ella watched with disbelief as he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. The disbelief wasn’t at his self-control, though; it was at her own lack of it. Once he opened his eyes again, he sat on the stool next to her and gestured for her to continue with her questions.

She took another bite of the omelet as she tried to clear her mind enough to remember what she wanted to know. “How did I get here,” she finally asked, “and where are Carly and Daniel?”

“They brought you here yesterday afternoon. All I was told was that you fainted and that they couldn’t wake you up.” He paused and seemed to be lost in his thoughts for a moment.

Finishing her meal, Ella thought about what he’d said. The last memory she had was of her collapsing in her driveway. The next thing that she remembered was a pleasant dream, which she now realized was no dream at all. She focused on her orange juice as she berated herself for what had happened. How could she have given herself over to a man she barely knew? Sarcastically, she thought that at least she knew his name. She wasn’t blaming him for taking what she had offered. As far as she could remember, she had given him every indication that she welcomed his touches. She was nothing more than a common slut, she thought, feeling sick to her stomach.

Unable to sit down any longer, she took her plate to the sink. Carlisle followed her, stopping her when she was about to reach for the tap to wash her dishes.

“Don’t do this to yourself,” he whispered, lifting her chin so she had no choice but to look up at him. “Hear me out before you berate yourself for what happened, okay?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded.

He picked her up in his arms and took them to his bedroom. He sat with her on the bed, placing her in his lap. When she looked up at him in confusion, he said, “I missed having you in my arms.”

Ella couldn’t stop herself—nor did she want to—from leaning into his embrace and nuzzling into his neck. It felt like second nature for her to touch him, to seek comfort in him.

“When you and I first met, I immediately understood that there was something about you that called to me,” Carlisle began. “It took me a while before I understood what the connection was, and I went through a period of denial. But it is futile, Ella.” He waited until she pulled back to look at him. “You are my soul mate. You are the perfect match to me, and there never was and never will be anyone else for me. By trying to deny this, I have caused us both grief, and I am sorry for that.”

“I don’t understand,” she murmured.

“When a supernatural being finds its soul mate, there are forces that come into play to help the two recognize their connection. I know little of the effect it has on a human. From what I do know, however, if the connection is denied by either side, both suffer. For me, the effect was having a shorter temper, a need to hunt more often as I was drained faster, and a burning need to...to be with you.”

She had a feeling that “be” wasn’t the first term he’d thought about, but she didn’t need him to spell it out for her. She had felt the same need last night—a need to connect, to touch, to become one with him.

“I suspect that your fainting was a direct result of the distance that had been forced upon us. I know that I grew intolerable while you were gone, so I can’t imagine how you felt.”

She shivered as she remembered the last few days in Germany. Cuddling deeper into his embrace, she let her fingers wander over his bare chest. “I mostly felt cold. Unbelievably cold,” she whispered. “I had trouble sleeping. I felt...alone.”

Her voice broke on the last word, and Carlisle wrapped his arms around her tightly, leaning down to nuzzle her neck. “I never want you to feel that way again,” he whispered to her. “The separation that I imposed on the both of us intensified it, but the urge to touch one another is the most basic one. Even now, I hunger for you. I want to touch you so much that it takes everything I have in me to avoid tearing off the shirt that you’re wearing and reaffirming our connection. I can almost feel how much you need my touch, and I know that I need yours. Don’t begrudge yourself for something that is only a natural reaction. I don’t.”

Ella felt the urge he was speaking of rising within her. It had been present since the moment she left the bed this morning, she realized. It was what had made her hands wander over his body. She needed him, needed him like she had never needed anyone before, and it was both a frightening realization and a comforting one. She feared it because needing someone meant that she was making herself vulnerable, but she took comfort in it because he seemed to need her just as much.

“Would you like me to share my story with you?” Carlisle asked quietly after several moments of silence passed between them. He was finding his thoughts wandering to the silkiness of her thighs that now lay across his lap, his fingers caressing them gently. He knew that if he did not focus on something else, they would spend the rest of the day making love; and as much as he loved that notion, he understood that it was not yet time for that.

“Sure, I’m not going anywhere.” Ella smiled at the idea. She would have to face Carly and Daniel soon enough. For the time being, however, she was perfectly content staying exactly where she was in her lover’s arms and listening to his voice as he told her about his life.

* * *

_Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be posted on Friday, August 8th. Hope you have a wonderful weekend,_

_Alley Cat._


	25. Tell Me

**Chapter Twenty-Five – Tell Me**

“When one becomes a vampire, there are two things that commonly occur. The first is that he becomes solidified in his personality. His personality traits, preferences and tastes...everything freezes. As vampires, we are amazingly resistant to change. The second thing that occurs is that we forget almost everything about our human life. I suspect that this is for evolutionary reasons.”

“So that you won’t have a problem making lunch of your friends and family once you’re a vampire,” Ella guessed.

“Exactly. The instinct to hunt is the first thing that a newly-turned vampire relies upon. If we had an aversion to sustaining ourselves on our sole source of food, we wouldn’t have been able to survive for long as a species.” Carlisle continued to play with Ella’s long hair as he turned his thoughts to his human memories. “I seem to be a rare exception to both of these occurrences, at least in some part. I remember my human life with clarity uncommon for our kind, and I have proven capable of great changes. Ella, a lot of what I am about to tell you is going to make you feel uncomfortable, at the very least.”

“I don’t expect it all to be pink and rosy,” she said, trying to lighten the mood, but she saw the sadness and nervousness in his expression. Placing one hand on his cheek, she smiled at him. “I will focus on having you here, with me, if things get too hard, okay?”

“Very well.” Resolved, Carlisle turned to kiss the palm of her hand and began telling his story. “My mother died giving birth to me in the winter of sixteen thirty-nine. For my father, who only loved two things in his life—my mother and God—losing my mother was a harsh blow that turned him to religion. Up until I was considered old enough to assist him, I was raised by my sisters, Margaret and Johanna. Growing up, I always sought my father’s approval, so it was only natural for me to follow in his footsteps.

“Back then, people believed in good and evil in their most basic forms, and my father was no different. He would preach about the evils that roamed the streets at night, and he warned the congregation not to stray from the path of God. When I took over, I decided that further action should be taken. As a young, fit man, I gathered some of the healthy men in our small community and took them on night patrols to help keep us all safe.”

“Like a neighborhood watch?”

“Exactly. Most nights we either caught petty thieves or nothing at all, but once we found something that was much more dangerous than a thief. It was shortly after my twenty-third birthday. I gathered a small group of men together, and we began making our evening rounds. I caught a glimpse of someone snatching a young girl from a dark alley. We all heard her screaming, but I was the only one who saw where the abductor was headed. We gave chase, following them into the forest nearby. We couldn’t find him, so we split up. I thank God for that decision every day.”

“I am assuming it saved many lives.” Ella hugged him tighter. “I also assume it cost you yours.”

“You’re right, it did.” Carlisle sighed. “I followed his trail to the east and came across the young lady’s handkerchief. I recognized it. I can’t tell you who she was, but I remember that the initials were familiar. I sent the young man that was with me to get everyone else while I pressed on. I didn’t get much farther before the beast was on me. I tried to fight it, but it was useless. He was much stronger than I would have imagined, and he began breaking my body as he drank my blood.”

Ella cringed at the thought, remembering her own encounter with the strong, red-eyed vampire that had nearly killed her.

“Until this day, I do not know why he did not drain me dry, but when the pain of my body turned into a burning sensation, I found myself alone. I crawled into some sort of cave and mercifully blacked out. It didn’t last long, though. I felt both incredibly cold and unbearably hot at the same time, praying for mercy and for death intermittently. I tried to keep myself from screaming because I feared for the others who might come looking for me. I had no way of knowing if the creature was going to return or not, and I did not want anyone else to get hurt. When the pain finally receded, what was left was the worst case of a sore throat I had ever experienced.”

“Did you realize what you were?”

“Not at first. I only knew that I could no longer feel my own pulse and that—for all intents and purposes—I should have been dead. All thoughts abandoned me as soon as my senses picked up movement from the outside. I was out and drinking from the animal that was passing by before I even made a conscious decision to check what the source of the movement was.”

“An animal? It wasn’t a person?”

“By some pure miracle, it was an animal. I had committed many sins in my lifetime, but I am glad to say that I have never taken another’s life.”

She looked at him, shocked and admiring. “How did you resist?”

“It was almost as hard as going through the pain of the transformation, but I was determined that I would not become a monster, even if I was a demon.”

“I have a question.” Ella decided that a change of subject might be in order. She hated seeing the self-loathing in his eyes and hearing it in his tone. Besides, she was curious about something.

“Go ahead.”

“You say that all it takes is a bite for a human to be turned. So, how is it that you bit me and I’m still human?” She was still cuddled on his lap, but now she sat up to look at him.

“It’s not just a bite,” he said. “The venom is a paralyzer. Its first and foremost role is to insure that the prey does not escape once it’s bitten. A simple bite will not introduce a large enough amount to change a person, but it will paralyze him and eventually kill him by causing respiratory failure.”

“That is, if the vampire doesn’t drink you like you’re Kool-Aid before that.”

Carlisle chuckled as he nodded. “If a vampire wishes to change someone, he needs to drain the human to the point where he has very little blood left in him and then introduce a large amount of venom to the system.”

“That sounds like a very ineffective method of reproduction,” Ella commented.

“It is. Add into the consideration that it is nearly impossible to stop mid-feeding, and you have a species that is very slow to multiply.”

“I don’t see the reasoning behind it.”

“Limited resources.”

She looked at him, not understanding.

“A mature human drinker usually goes hunting once every two or three weeks, taking the lives of one or two people. A newborn that is not yet in control of his instincts will feed daily if he can, taking at least one life in every feeding. Being immortals, that amounts to a lot of lives lost.”

Ella shuddered at the imagery. “Too many vampires created at the same time would probably wipe out an entire village in one night.”

“Exactly. I think that this is evolution’s way of ensuring that we don’t...run out of food.”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting theory. But if you awoke alone, how did you learn all of this? And how did you become the first and only vampire doctor?” Ella couldn’t tell for sure that he was the only one, but she doubted that there would be another who would be willing to put himself through so much to become a doctor. Vampires, she knew, were essentially selfish creatures.

“After draining the first animal, I started running. I ran as far as I could, away from any populated areas. Back then, it wasn’t too hard to find vast forests and avoid human company. I spent several years in the darkest forests and caves I could find. I could justify hunting animals, as they were something I would have eaten as a human, but I didn’t know how I would react to a human being nearby. It was a full decade before I risked venturing out to test myself.”

“The bloodlust is that powerful?” Ella frowned. All of the vampires she’d met before coming to Forks had no problem being around humans. Bleeding wasn’t recommended around them, of course, but none of them seemed to have been as affected as Carlisle was describing.

“It was worse than anything I have ever experienced before, or since. I assume that never having tasted human blood helped me build the tolerance to its scent.”

“You didn’t really know what you were missing.”

Carlisle noticed the past tense she’d used but chose not to address it. “It was a very slow process for me. I wasn’t willing to take even the slightest possible risk of hurting someone, so I was always on the cautious side. As my tolerance and self-control grew, I began making trips to small villages. Five decades later, I grew confident enough to stand human company for longer periods of time, and that was when I started thinking about what I was going to do with myself. I have encountered a few nomadic vampires over the years, but not one of them thought about humans as anything more than their next meal. I couldn’t bring myself to do the same. I...I _cared_.”

 _You still do,_ Ella thought, _and that is part of what makes you so amazingly special._

“I began traveling across Europe, slowly reintroducing myself to civilization, and I came upon a battlefield somewhere outside of Russia. The injured had already been taken away, and the rest were left for dead. There was so much blood... I didn’t dare come close, but then I heard something. At first there was a moan, and then I heard a faint heartbeat. The soldier was about two hundred yards away, and he was slowly dying. I didn’t stop to think before I went to him, but having very little knowledge of medicine, I couldn’t do anything but watch as he faded away in my arms. He begged me...” His voice broke, and he had to pause as the memories, crystal clear even now, washed over him. “He begged me not to let him go, but there was nothing I could do. It was the first time since becoming a vampire that I felt helpless. What good was my speed, strength, and sharp senses if I couldn’t even save a single dying man?”

“So you decided to become a doctor.”

“I did. It took me a while to take care of all the arrangements involved, like obtaining a new identity and getting money, but I did it. It was my path to redemption. Instead of taking lives, as it would have been expected by my very nature, I wanted to save them. Modern surgery, as we know it today, was still developing; the first modern surgeons were actually battlefield doctors, so that was what I chose to do. I thought that it was the medical field that would benefit the most from my enhanced abilities, and I still believe that it was the right choice to make. I have practiced many different fields since, though.” He smiled. “I believe a vampire’s curiosity is second only to that of a cat’s.”

Ella laughed at that. “Speaking of curiosity, I have a question. Do vampires of your kind have any natural enemies?” _Other than me, that is_.

“Other vampires.” That reply earned him a jab in the ribs. “Werewolves are the most common ones.”

“But...?”

“The legends I’ve come across mention shape-shifters that are capable of taking the shape of a bear, a lion, or a hawk at will, but I suspect that those are nothing but fables created by overactive imaginations and a superstitious minds.”

She raised a brow at that.

“What?”

“If there’s anything I have learned in my experience as a Slayer, it is that legends turn out to be true much too often for my liking.”

“Speaking of which, would you mind sharing your story with me?”

“Not at all, but I’m getting hungry. Let’s go down to the kitchen, and I’ll tell you everything while I co—”

Before she could finish her words, Carlisle was already on his feet, lifting her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled, and he smiled at the sound. It was so carefree that he wanted to treasure it. His gut was telling him that she rarely allowed herself to be truly carefree, and with ample reason; what little he knew about Slayers told him that their shoulders were always heavily burdened.

o.O.o

_October 1, 1996_

Ella sat in the principal’s office, and the term _sweating bullets_ came to her mind. This was the third time in as many weeks that she had ended up here. She hadn’t meant to break the guy’s nose, she thought, but he was _seriously_ in her face. She doubted that telling _that_ to the principal would gain her any points.

“Miss Swan.” Mr. Langford threw a paper folder on his desk as he walked around it to sit down in his chair. “What are we going to do with you?”

“I’m guessing letting me off the hook isn’t on the list of options.” Ella tried to smile, but the principal’s frown only deepened. “I didn’t mean to break his nose. I didn’t even hit him that hard, and he had it coming!”

“Miss Swan.” Mr. Langford sighed. “Witnesses said that Mr. Andrews was attacked with no provocation.”

“No provocation, my ass,” Ella grumbled under her breath, but the principal didn’t seem to hear her. Jack Andrews was an idiot who had been bugging her and her friend Jenny for a while. He thought that he was God’s gift to womankind, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ella didn’t think that she should be blamed for finally snapping when the idiot tried—again—to wrap his arm around her shoulders.

“I can’t put you in detention with the rest of the students because Miss Sinclair also earned herself a detention.” The principal gave Ella another disapproving glare when she snorted at this.

In Ella’s mind, Judy Sinclair was a bitch with a stick up her ass who went whining to her lawyer daddy every time she got her ass kicked.

The first detention Ella had earned in her life was when one of the guys on the school’s basketball team—a friend of Jackass Andrews, as Ella dubbed him now—had tried to put his moves on her, cornering her at her locker. She told him to back off, and when he didn’t, she disabled him in a few quick moves. Charlie wasn’t too happy when he heard about it, telling her that the self-defense lessons she had taken the year before did not grant her permission to cause harm to others. She tried telling him that talking herself out of the situation hadn't worked, and she got a reproving look for that statement instead.

When Judy—a fellow cheerleader—heard that Ella got detention, she tried to get her booted off the cheerleading squad. She attempted the direct approach, by going to the captain and putting Ella’s place to a vote, but that failed. As the team’s strongest gymnast, Ella was too valuable to be voted off. So, Judy went for a more covert approach. She hid Ella’s clothes after cheer practice, put salt in her water bottle, and eventually tried to get Ella injured, all in an attempt to get Ella to quit the squad one way or the other. Judy’s plan was simple; she knocked down one of the guys who were supposed to catch Ella on her dismount. The two other guys were able to catch Ella, but she saw Judy’s annoyed expression. Ella’s temper snapped at that point. She marched over to Judy and gave her a shove, yelling that she had had enough of her bullshit.

Judy landed on her ass and was instantly crying. She was taken to the school nurse first and eventually to the hospital. Ella was shocked that such a simple shove from her resulted in Judy’s wrist being fractured, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel regret for it. Judy had had it coming for a long time as far as Ella was concerned.

Judy ran to her lawyer father not two minutes after she was discharged from the hospital. He filed for a restraining order, but before the discussion in the matter could be held, Judy decided to drop the charges. She was informed that issuing a restraining order against Ella would mean that their squad would lose two cheerleaders, which would almost definitely result in the squad having to withdraw from participating in the Nationals. While Judy couldn’t have been happier to know that she could get Ella off the team, she still wanted to go with them to Nationals after her hand healed.

“I have considered pulling you out of the cheerleading squad,” Mr. Langford continued, pulling Ella out of her recollections and making her gasp. “Luckily for you, I don’t believe in collective punishment, which pulling you out would result in. So what I am going to do instead is suspend you from the squad until after the game at the end of the month. In your now-free afternoons, you will be assigned to help our new librarian, Mr. Stewart.”

Ella stared at the principal when she heard that. Was that all? Helping the librarian? Missing a game? The month of missed cheer practice could be a hurdle if she’d let herself go slack and not practice at home, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. If she kept a low profile and played her cards right, her father might not have to find out about this, she thought.

o.O.o

Ella walked through the doors of the library and looked around. Upon finding the place empty, she called out, “Hello? Mr. Stewart?”

“Miss Swan?” A man whom Ella assumed was the librarian appeared from the door behind the counter.

He was dressed in a brown suit with patched elbows, and he wore a pair of round glasses that slid to the tip of his nose.

“Yes,” she replied, handing him the detention slip.

Stewart fixed his glasses and pushed the slip of paper into the pocket of his jacket. “I thought you’d be taller,” he commented.

“Excuse me?” She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the librarian.

“Tell me, Miss Swan, do you believe in myths?”

Ella laughed. “You’ve been hanging around the library for too long. I think you must have inhaled some of the moldy dust.”

“I’ll take that as a no.” He bent behind the counter to retrieve a book stored there and handed it to her. “Here, start reading this.”

“Homework?” She frowned. “No one said anything about this including homework,” she grumbled as she examined the title of the book: _Vampires, Werewolves, and the Occult._

“I believe that the principal instructed you to assist me, correct?”

Ella nodded.

“This is part of that assistance.”

“Fine.” She tried to remind herself that this would only be for a limited amount of time—twice a week for the next month, on the same days as cheer practice—but with the added bonus of extra reading, the idea of community service sounded like a more preferable idea.

She slumped into the chair next to one of the tables that wasn’t covered in boxes and opened the book to the first page.

_Welcome, dear reader, to a world of magic and myth. You are about to be introduced to your worst nightmares, to the things that make your skin crawl and your heart launch into your throat..._

“What a load of bull.” She turned the pages and reached the first chapter, entitled _Demons_.

_Out of all the demons to walk the earth, the most common one is the vampire..._

Reading the first few paragraphs, she felt her eyes begin to droop. She was never one for books, and this whole supernatural stuff was definitely not her cup of tea. “Why am I reading this?”

“Because you need to know this,” Stewart answered her. “You need to know of the origins of demons ~~,~~ because you are _the Slayer_.”

Ella looked up at him, surprised to find him standing on the other side of the table. “I don’t know what a slayer is, but I am definitely not one.”

“A Slayer is the hunter of vampires,” he answered. “She is the one girl in the entire world that stands between it and complete destruction.”

“Then I’m definitely not that.” Ella laughed, deciding that the man either must have cheated on his psych tests when he applied for the job or the school was seriously desperate for a librarian. “I can barely stand between myself and being expelled.”

Steward sighed. “You _are_ the Slayer, and I am your Watcher.”

Ella froze at that. “What the hell?” Was he saying that he was going to stalk her? “You do know who my father is, right?”

“This has nothing to do with your father. This is your legacy, your destiny. You were born to fight evil.”

She slammed the book closed and stood up. “I am not here to fight. Hell, I got myself in this whole mess _because_ of a fight. Now, I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but I am outta here.”

“Tell me that you haven’t been having the dreams,” he called after her as she was about to leave the room.

She stopped but didn’t turn to look at him.

“Tell me that you haven’t found yourself suddenly stronger, that you aren’t healing much faster than before.”

Shocked at how true his words were, she finally turned her head.

“Catch!” He threw his pen at her.

Reacting mindlessly, she caught the pen in her left hand and instantly dropped it. Without waiting for him to scare her even more, she ran out of the room.

o.O.o

By the time evening rolled in, Ella was finally able to convince herself that the librarian was not stalking her and that there was some kind of an explanation—she still hadn’t ruled out falling asleep during detention—that was perfectly rational.

She went out with her friends, as planned, and had a nice time talking to the girls about practice. She wasn’t the only one who was happy that Judy was off the team for the next month and a half due to her injury, and when they all turned to leave, Ella was smiling and relaxed.

Halfway home, she felt an odd tingle in the back of her mind. It wasn’t the first time she had felt it, but it had never been this strong. She couldn’t understand the feeling, but it made her tummy knot and her muscles tense.

She hastened her pace and turned to one of the side alleys. If someone was following her, she might be able to lose him, she thought. She felt stupid as she leaned against the side of the building waiting for whoever was following her to pass, but the tingling only grew stronger. Suddenly, a tall man entered the alleyway, and his eyes went straight to her.

Instantly realizing that the darkness gave her no cover at all, Ella tried to run. She knew the area well and was fairly certain that she’d be able to get away, but one word thrown in the air by the man made her falter in her step. She turned quickly, but the man was already on top of her.

“Slayer,” he said again, “I will enjoy drinking your blood.”

Her thoughts were silent with shock, but her body seemed to respond instinctively. As she twisted away from his grip, kicking him in the chest and rising to her feet, she thought that her self-defense classes were truly paying off.

What she hadn’t taken into account—and what quickly became apparent to her—was that the man was strong— _really_ strong—and quicker than she would have thought possible.

One of his blows threw her against a wall, and she saw things blur for a moment as she tried to get her bearings again. She took no more than one breath before feeling his hand grabbing her by the neck.

What had previously been a tingling sensation was now the equivalent of an alarm bell going off in her head. He was going to bite her, she thought in amazement. Well, she wasn’t about to let him do it. Pushing herself away from the wall, she sent them both flying to the ground. She landed on top of him and then jumped to her feet.

“Catch!” a familiar voice drew her attention.

Just as she had done earlier that day with the pen, she caught the stake he threw at her.

“Aim for the heart,” Stewart called to her.

Just as she was about to question him, she saw that the man’s facial features were no longer human; they were horribly distorted. His forehead was protruding, his eyes were unnaturally yellow, and his lips were pulling back to reveal a mouth full of sharp canines.

The man— _creature_ —growled. It was a completely inhuman sound. Panicked, she didn’t think twice about staking it; she simply acted, staring speechless at the small pile of dust that remained after the creature literally disintegrated before her very eyes.

Stewart took Ella to his apartment after that, serving her a cup of tea and telling her about the world of Slayers and vampires. This time, she listened.

o.O.o

_March 19, 1999_

Carlisle listened with amazement and growing appreciation to Ella’s story, asking as many questions as Jasper and Alice had when they had first heard about the two kinds of vampires. His interest was sparked, and Ella smiled.

“I think that you and Daniel would get along great,” she told Carlisle, becoming distracted by the movements of his chest as he gave out a small growl. “There’s no need to be jealous. He’s into Carly. He’s also into books, which is why I think you’ll get along. He could give you a lot of information that I can’t.”

Carlisle leaned down to kiss her. “I can’t help being jealous.”

“Well, I like it when you growl,” she whispered, giggling when he did it again. “Yup, just like that.”

He growled again and kissed her hungrily. “You can’t imagine how good you taste.”

Several kisses later, Ella was breathless, and she leaned her head on his chest. It was surprisingly quiet, but his bare skin still felt warm under her cheek. “It’s strange...”

“What is?”

“I know that vampires are cold to the touch, yet you don’t feel cold to me.” She cuddled deeper into his hold. “You feel warm...soft...” She chuckled then, feeling at least one part of him that wasn’t soft at all. “Well, mostly soft.”

“It could be because you are my soul mate that I don’t feel cold.” Carlisle let his hand travel down her back to her thigh and enjoyed hearing her pulse quicken. “You feel like heaven to me.”

“Now that’s corny.” She snorted.

“Well, you do.” He smiled and leaned over to place a soft kiss on her neck. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I like having you in my arms, seeing you bear my mark.”

His phone rang then, and he answered it almost reluctantly. Alice was on the line, suggesting that they drop by.

Carlisle wasn’t too happy with the idea, but Ella told him that she’d actually like them to come. There was more that she wanted to tell him—like everything that had happened since her arrival in Forks—and she preferred to do it with everyone present.

Once things were settled, Ella took the phone from Carlisle and instructed Carly on what to pack for her—she couldn’t really stay in Carlisle’s shirt while they had company—and she also asked them to bring lunch with them.

o.O.o

Fifteen minutes after the phone call, two cars pulled into the driveway. Ella remained upstairs—she had no desire for anyone to see her half naked—and waiting for Carly to come up with her clothes. While she dressed, Carly told her what they had told Alice and Jasper so far.

“I’m going to tell them everything about the Vampire Killer,” Ella said.

“Are you sure?” Carly looked at her sister, concerned.

“Yes.” Ella sighed and listened to the happenings downstairs. Once she was fairly certain that their conversation wasn’t being listened to, she lowered her voice and said, “I can’t explain this, Carly, but I trust him. He’s...it’s like he’s the missing piece of me. I don’t think that I could live without him, and that both scares and excites me.”

“I’m not going to say that I understand,” Carly said slowly, “because I don’t, but I am here for you.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Good, now get dressed, Miss Slayer. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”

It took only a few minutes for Ella to finish getting dressed. She felt almost sorry to take off Carlisle’s shirt, so she decided to keep it. Once she was done and decent, she went downstairs to greet everyone.

She shook hands with Alice and Jasper—noting that their touch was just as cold as she’d expected it to be—and turned to give Daniel a hug.

Daniel jumped when Carlisle growled quite loudly.

“Sorry.” Ella smiled sheepishly and went to stand next to Carlisle.

“We got take out,” Alice said, to break the sudden tension. “It’s all set up in the kitchen.”

“Let’s go,” Ella said. “We have a lot that needs telling.”

* * *

_Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be posted on Wednesday, August 15th. Hope you have a wonderful weekend,_

_Alley Cat._


	26. Making Plans

**Chapter Twenty-Six – Making Plans**

After filling the Cullens in on Carly and Ella's history leading up to their arrival in Forks, as well as sharing what had led to and happened on their trip to Germany, everyone moved to the living room. Carlisle took the armchair, pulling Ella onto his lap, and the others paired up on the couch and loveseat. He worried for a moment that she would object, but Ella seemed to be just as unwilling to break contact as he was.

"I think it's safe to say that the union of healer and killer is complete," Carly noted dryly.

"What?" Jasper asked, confused by the reference.

"When we first began to study the Vampire Killer, we came across the writings of a priest," Daniel explained.

"The same writings that led you to Germany?" Alice asked.

"Yes. One of the things the priest mentioned was a union of the healer and killer." Daniel turned to the bag he had brought with him. Anticipating this conversation, he had packed the copies he had of the priest's writings and the photocopied volume Elizabeth had made of the tome Adele's grandfather wrote. He took them out now and read aloud. " _Forged in ancient times before years were counted, blessed twice and drenched in holy water, it is many in one, but one is not whole until the sacrifice is made._ _When the union of healer and killer is complete, the Heart of the Vampire will bleed. In the Land of the People, search the holy grounds under the nameless tomb in Laurishaim. May God be with you._ "

"The sacrifice has been made, we all know that," Ella said. "I also know that the Vampire Killer is capable of changing form, at least somewhat. When I was fighting the monster in the labyrinth, a blade appeared out of nowhere."

"Can I take a look at the weapon?" Carlisle asked.

"Sure. It's upstairs. I'll go get it."

Carlisle wanted to follow Ella as she got up and darted to his bedroom, but he knew that if he did, they wouldn't be seen again for several long hours.

When Ella returned, silver cross in her hands, she returned to her seat on Carlisle's lap and presented him with the weapon. "This," she pointed to the tip of the cross, "is where the blade sprang from."

"You think that by healer and killer the priest meant Carlisle and Ella?" Jasper inquired, speaking to Daniel.

"Yes," Daniel answered. "We've found the part of the weapon that was hidden in Germany. The sacrifice has been made. The union is...er, undoubtedly complete. The only thing that we don't know yet is what ' _the Heart of the Vampire will bleed_ ' means. A vampire's heart doesn't beat, so it is incapable of bleeding."

Ella stilled at that, her eyes flying to Carlisle and her hand going to her neck. "What if the heart is metaphorical?" she asked, her voice no louder than a whisper.

"Metaphorical?" Jasper asked, not understanding the sudden shift in her mood, but then his eyes caught the motion of her fingers on her neck. He didn't need to see the mark to understand her train of thought.

"Yes," Carlisle replied, following her as well. "You could be considered my heart, and I did make you bleed."

Carly blushed at the sound of that, looking away from Ella for a moment. She didn't really need to know the gory details. However, when she looked back up, she saw Carlisle lifting his head from Ella's neck, an apologetic expression on his face. "You BIT her?" she screeched, jumping to her feet. "You sick monst—"

The rest of her words were muffled as Daniel placed his hand over her mouth. "Carly, you don't want to finish that sentence."

Carly struggled against his hold.

"He's much stronger than you," Daniel whispered to her, "and you could easily be hurt."

"Carly, please," Ella said softly, looking at her friend, "I don't want you to finish that sentence either." A part of her was slowly growing to like the mark on her neck, the eternal proof that Carlisle chose her as his life partner.

Daniel released Carly but left his hand on her shoulder, afraid that she'd decide to jump and attack in her fury.

"I can't believe you're protecting him. He fucking BIT you! Get your hands off me!" Carly shook Daniel's hands off her. "You are a vampire _slayer_. You're not supposed to be his chewing toy! What if he decides that a small taste isn't enough the next time you fuck him?"

Ella shot up to her feet. "I am _not_ his chewing toy." She was desperately trying to hold on to her temper. She knew that Carly would react badly to the bite mark.

"No, you're just his _whore_!"

Carlisle reacted to that faster than anyone could blink. He grabbed Carly by the neck and slammed her against the wall. Ignoring the cries of shock around the room, he held her there. "You will apologize to her," he said through clenched teeth, "and after you do, you will _never_ speak to her like that again. Is that clear, little girl?"

"Carlisle," Ella placed her hand on his shoulder, "you're choking her, and I'm quite partial to Carly continuing to breathe." She kept her voice as calm as she could. She'd feared for Carly's life the moment the insult had been uttered. Carlisle had told her before how basic his instincts were around her. The fact that he demanded an apology rather than going straight for the kill was a testament of his control, but Ella could almost feel the fury rolling off him in waves.

Carlisle loosened his hold enough to let Carly breathe, but he didn't release her. He was waiting for the apology.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Carly mumbled in a hoarse whisper.

He released her then, and everyone in the room sighed with relief. Jasper knew better than to interfere. He could sense that Carlisle had enough control to avoid killing the human, and that was all Jasper needed to know to keep his influence to himself.

"I forgive you, Carly." Ella used the same quiet tone as before. She would never tell Carly how much her comment had hurt her, how close the words were to the ones she had been throwing at herself that very morning.

Daniel came to help Carly stand, and Alice brought her a wet towel to press against her neck. Carly looked at her sister and felt her heart sink. Ella said she forgave her, but she knew that the words cut much deeper than Ella let anyone know. "I'm sorry, Ella. I didn't mean to say that. I...I lost my temper."

Ella nodded. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She felt that she needed a break from everything, so she suggested, "How about we all go out for dinner? There's not much food here, and I don't feel like cooking tonight."

"I know of a nice place in Port Angeles that you might like," Alice said.

"Excellent." Ella looked herself over with a critical eye. The jeans and sweater weren't bad, but they weren't what she wanted to wear to a restaurant. "I'm gonna have to stop by at home to change, though."

They made arrangements to meet back at the Cullens' in an hour. Carlisle hated being parted from his mate, but he knew that he needed that time to go on a short hunting trip. He might have hunted recently, but the...activity he had engaged in since then had left him more thirsty than usual. The second reason was that if he wasn't busy hunting, he would go after Ella, and then neither of them would eat for a very long time.

As it were, the hunting trip was hardly enough to keep him focused, earning him more than one amused glance from Alice and Jasper. He took it in good grace, though. Finally happy, he didn't mind the teasing.

When they got back to the house, he took a quick shower and went to dress. For the first time in his very long life, he suddenly paused at the open closet and wondered what he should put on. He sighed, calling himself a fool, and pulled on a pair of black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a matching black jacket.

Once he was dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror with a critical gaze. He looked just like he did when he went to the hospital. All he needed to do was add a tie and replace the jacket with his lab coat.

This wouldn't work, he decided, going back to the closet. He pulled out a pale blue dress shirt, and his eyes caught sight of a pair of jeans he'd never worn. They were a dark grey color that was almost black. Over the dress shirt, he wore a black sweater, and he pulled the collar of the shirt out and unbuttoned the top two buttons. Finishing the look with a black belt and black running shoes, he looked at his reflection again.

Much better.

He could hear a car approaching in the driveway and recognized the sound of Ella's voice as they parked and exited.

Carlisle was at the front door and opening it before they could knock. He was stunned at the sight before him. Ella wore more than she had last night—more than she had worn throughout most of the day, in fact—but he was nonetheless stimulated.

Her heels placed her almost at eye-level with him. Her legs were clad in black slacks that were only just tight enough to hint at the toned body beneath the fabric. She wore his shirt, tied at the waist, over a tight-fitting black top, and her hair was pulled up, leaving her neck exposed and his mark clearly visible. He couldn't control himself as he pulled her in for a hungry kiss. The combination of his shirt on her, his mark visible, and her neck exposed was just too much for him to bear.

Ella moaned into his mouth, wrapping her hands around his neck. She answered his hunger, matching each stroke of his tongue with her own. They were completely blind and deaf to everything around them.

It wasn't until Ella heard Jasper say, "I am contemplating pouring a bucket of cold water on you two," that she came to her senses.

Blushing red, Ella realized that she had her leg hitched around Carlisle's thigh in a position that belonged in the bedroom rather than the doorway.

"You look absolutely mouthwatering," Carlisle whispered next to her ear as he eased her leg down.

When they finally pulled away, she almost said to hell with the restaurant. There was heat and hunger and longing in his expression, and she felt everything inside her melt.

"Come on, love birds," Alice called from behind them. "I made reservations for nine, and I don't want to be late."

As they were walking to the cars—Carlisle insisted on driving Ella, Alice and Jasper would take a car of their own, and Carly and Daniel would go in Daniel's Mustang—Carlisle leaned in to whisper to Ella, "I hope you packed an overnight bag. I am not going to let you go anywhere tonight."

She blushed, but her heart soared. "Maybe I did." She got into the car. "If you play your cards right..."

Carlisle growled at her teasing and smiled when he smelled her arousal. "Be careful with your words, Elleanora. I might just decide to take you here and now."

Ella shivered. This was going to be a long ride.

o.O.o

Ella was torn between fury and jealousy, neither of which was helpful, but she understood that it would do her no good to deny them. Carlisle decided to drive her mad as he drove, placing his hand on her thigh and sending her heartbeat into overdrive, so she distracted him by asking that he tell her the rest of his story. He did, keeping nothing out, no matter how personal or painful it was. He told her about going to Italy and making friends with Marcus, and he told her about what led to his leaving.

She was nearly blind with rage when he told her that Esme had attempted to kill him, and she wanted nothing more than to trace down that waste of space and end her herself.

"You are absolutely beautiful when you're angry." Carlisle's voice brought her out of her murderous plans.

She glared at him. "How is it that you're not angry?"

"Because I have you with me, and I refuse to dedicate any trace of emotion to that creature. I've spent years being angry with her, and I almost ruined my chances with you because I was too bitter and angry."

Ella melted under the effects of the smile he sent her way.

"Now, as much as I'd love to show you exactly how happy I am to have found you, I think we have plans to eat tonight."

She groaned as she exited the car. With those simple words, he'd ignited the desire inside her again.

o.O.o

They had a great time over dinner. None of the Cullens ate, so they ordered dishes "to share" and made sure to use all the utensils to make it look as though all six of them had eaten.

It was clear as they were making their way back to Forks that Ella wasn't going to part with Carlisle—neither of them wanted that—so they said their goodbyes in the parking lot and left separately.

The drive back wasn't long, especially when Carlisle seemed to forgo any speed limit that wasn't the mechanical speed limit of his Mercedes. Ella didn't complain. She trusted him completely, knowing that he would never do anything that might endanger her, and she was just as eager as him to get to his home.

When they parked in the garage, Carlisle barely waited for her to unbuckle her seatbelt before he snatched her. They were in his bedroom in the next moment, and he was kissing her again with hungry, long kisses.

"I need you so much," he murmured as he untied her shirt and pushed it off her shoulders.

She used the pause to pull his sweater off him and immediately attacked the buttons of his shirt. She tried to be gentle, but he soon grew impatient and tore the shirt off himself.

Ella gave a breathless chuckle. "Someone's impatient."

Carlisle growled and then moaned when her arousal grew at the sound. "You have no idea how much control it took not to take you in the middle of that restaurant." Kicking off his shoes, he reached for the zipper on her pants.

"I'm glad you didn't," she said, reaching for his jeans.

As soon as her pants were pulled around her ankles, Carlisle lifted her top off, leaving her in the most seductive pair of underwear he could imagine. They were made entirely of black lace and sat very low on her hips.

"I assume you approve?" Ella couldn't feel shy when he was looking at her with such hunger and longing.

"I more than approve." He advanced toward her, making her stumble back until she hit the bed and fell back. "I will imagine you wearing this under your clothes every time I have to suffer through having your lovely body hidden from me." He finished unbuttoning his pants and kicked them off.

"Umm..." Ella had to wet her lips when she saw that he had nothing on under his pants. "Do the people in Forks know that their hottest ER doctor goes commando?"

"They have no reason to know." He placed one knee on the bed and leaned over her, kissing her stomach. "For one, this is the first time I've ever forgone underwear..."

Ella moaned when he began licking just above her panty line.

"And...you are the only one who will ever see me out of my pants." He used his teeth to pull her panties off, maintaining eye contact with her the whole time.

She could feel a pulsing sensation between her thighs and knew that she couldn't handle much teasing tonight. She needed him to touch her, needed to feel him. She reached for his head and pulled him up for a kiss.

Carlisle happily obliged and lay on top of her. Nothing had ever felt as good as having her beneath him. Her warmth, her softness...

He pulled back when he sensed that she was becoming too breathless and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. "I never want to spend a night without you in my arms, ma beauté."

"The feeling is mutual," she said quietly, tearing up as her emotions rose. She couldn't believe how strongly she felt about him, but she knew that she could never part with him. They were entwined so intricately that a separation would leave them bleeding, holding onto a piece of the other.

He slowed down then, lavishing her with kisses before sliding into her welcoming body. He worried that she might be sore from their night—and morning—of lovemaking, but she laughed at the notion.

"I'm the Slayer, Carlisle," she reminded him. "I can take it." Then she tightened her muscles to make him hiss in pleasure. "I _want_ to take you."

He smirked at that and leaned back on his heels. He grabbed her pelvis and angled her in just a way to make sure that he brought her the most pleasure with each thrust. "Let us see just how much you can take. I think I can make you scream in a matter of minutes."

She was about to scream with frustration at his stillness, but then he shifted, making them both cry out in pleasure.

He began with slow movements, holding on to remnants of his self-control. It all flew out of the window when she began bucking up, answering his every thrust with one of her own. The seductive smile that spread on her lips made him lean down to kiss her. He couldn't get enough of her—of her taste, of her warmth. The change in position meant that he was hitting all the right spots, and soon he could feel her pulsating around him.

"Yes, Elleanora," he whispered, his breath tickling her as he kissed her neck.

Her breath hitched, her head falling back as she pleaded for more. It felt too good and not good enough all at the same time. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his back, holding him to her with all of her strength.

"I love feeling your body tightening around me, tesoro mio," he continued to whisper. He had to grit his teeth when she clenched around him. This was for her, he reminded himself. He trailed kisses down her neck until he reached the crescent impression his teeth had left on her otherwise smooth skin and began to make love to that mark with his mouth.

Ella's mouth fell open in a silent scream when his mouth sucked on her neck, triggering the release of that tight coil inside her. She felt tears falling from her eyes as the waves washed over her, taking her to a place that held nothing but carnal pleasure. She lost all of her senses at that moment, seeing, hearing, and feeling nothing but pleasure.

"You look so...beautiful...when you fall apart...beneath me." Carlisle grunted as he let his own release come.

For several immeasurable moments, he felt nothing but her, and those were the happiest moments of his long life.

Ella happily curled into the side of his body, her head resting in the crook of his neck. She was still breathless and giddy.

He looked down at her then, pushing one strand of hair off her forehead. Her skin was glistening with sweat, her chest heaving against his, but she had the happy smile of a woman satisfied, and he knew that he was smiling just as widely.

As they continued to gaze into each other's eyes, their smiles slowly faded. Ella brought one hand up to cup his cheek in the same way that he was cupping hers. Her thumb absentmindedly caressed his cheekbones, his jawline, and eventually her fingers threaded into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

It was insane, she thought, but hadn't her world been made of insanity for years now?

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Carlisle," she whispered between kisses, her eyes closed.

"My heart is incomplete without you, my Elleanora," he said as he gently pulled away. He wanted to look into her eyes, wanted her to look into his and see everything that he was feeling. "I love you with every fiber of my being, and I can't imagine my world without you."

For several moments, she couldn't speak. Tears formed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, but she was smiling most brilliantly.

Carlisle placed his forehead against hers and brought his hands around her to hug her closer to him. "I am tied to you by countless invisible strings that are stronger than any cable. Nothing could ever break even one of those strings."

Ella began to cry then, deep sobs bursting from her chest. She could feel every string he was speaking of. She could feel that small tug in her heart when he touched her. It was everything she had ever hoped and dreamed of, everything she'd told herself didn't exist.

More than a little alarmed at the outburst, he held her, murmuring that he loved her over and over again. Her tears dried, but she still let her head lay on his chest, her body wrapped in the cocoon of his embrace. And then she heard something that made her smile again. It was a very quiet sound that slowly grew stronger and made her feel as though there was a second layer to his embrace.

Carlisle smiled when he felt himself begin to purr. It was an instinctual response of his beast to the distress of his mate. The sound was unfamiliar, as he had never made it before, and yet it was an audible proof that every part of him accepted and loved her. He closed his eyes and listened to the steady beat of her heart, the even pace of her breathing.

Ella smiled in her sleep, subconsciously aware that he was still holding her. Her dreams were nothing more than splashes of color and random memories of his kisses and caresses going through her mind. Most of all, they were peaceful.

She felt safer than she had ever felt since she was sixteen and discovered that monsters were real and that she had a big target painted on her back. The Slayer in her knew that she could temporarily relinquish control to him, that he was strong enough to protect her while she rested.

"I love you, Carlisle," she murmured in her sleep.

Carlisle could have sworn he felt his heart contract in a beat.

o.O.o

Carlisle found himself opening his eyes only when the first rays of light filtered in through the window. He could hear Alice and Jasper in the house, going about their business during the night, but most of his attention was captivated by the woman sleeping in his arms. She had the faintest trace of a smile on her face as she slept, and he wanted to think that she was dreaming about him.

He tried not to think about the fact that they would have to part in about twenty-four hours. She had school to go to. He had taken several days off from the hospital, but they would be expecting him back on Monday for the early morning shift. Thinking about being separated from her made him hug her a little tighter to him. His mind was playing several very pleasant scenarios of them running off to some place remote where there would only be the two of them, preferably with as little clothing as possible. His rational mind, however, told him that this would have to wait at least until she graduated from high school. Two more months.

He sighed.

These two months ahead of them would be torturous. The age difference between them—at least as far as the people of Forks were aware of—was only six years in his favor, and she was an adult, but a relationship between them would still cause the gossip mill to run wild. They would have to tread carefully, he thought, but at least he wouldn't have to hide his relationship completely.

He wanted to make the most of the next day, however, and as he lay with her in his arms, waiting for the day to brighten, a plan began to form in his mind.

An hour later, Ella woke up to the smell of something delicious. She stretched and frowned when she realized that she was alone. Opening her eyes, she looked for Carlisle. Her heart sank when she saw that the room was just as empty as the bed.

Before she could get out from under the covers, the door of the adjoining bathroom opened and Carlisle entered. He wore a towel around his waist, his bare chest glistening with moisture.

"Good morning," he said, approaching her.

She sat up and gladly accepted the kiss he offered.

"Mmm...I like the taste of you in the morning," she said when they pulled apart.

"I like the taste of you anytime." He straightened up. "I brought your bag from the car so you could change. Now hurry up and get out of bed. Breakfast is waiting for you, and I believe it's getting cold."

"You made me breakfast?" She noted how small her voice sounded, but she didn't mind him knowing how touched she was by the gesture.

"I did. I don't know how edible it is, but yes."

Ella rolled her eyes and slid out from under the covers. His arms were ready for her when she stood up, and he held her for several long moments, neither of them speaking.

"If you want to eat your pancakes while they are still warm, you better get your ass down here sooner rather than later," Alice called from outside the room, making Ella jump and blush. She'd completely forgotten that she and Carlisle weren't alone in the house.

"I better do as she says," she said before taking her bag of toiletries out of her overnight bag.

"I'll wait for you downstairs."

o.O.o

Carlisle never thought he'd be jealous of an inanimate object, but when Ella wrapped her lips around the fork loaded with pancake and moaned, he was burning on the inside.

"If you continue to look at me like that, I might decide to let you have a taste of the pancakes," Ella threatened.

He chuckled. "It's not my fault that you are absolutely irresistible."

"It sure is. These pancakes are really good." She cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure that you made them?"

"Just ask Alice," he said. "She witnessed the first two attempts—first two _failed_ attempts."

Ella laughed at that. "Okay, I believe you."

Deciding that if he watched her for even a moment longer all of his plans for the day would fly out the window, Carlisle stood up and began washing the dishes he had used. "When you're done, I'd like to take you to a place I know that's not far from here."

"I'd love that," she said, watching the muscles in his back flex as he worked on the dishes.

She ate slowly, enjoying the taste of the food, but her thoughts were never far from him. It was as though she had developed an insatiable appetite for him. She would have blushed if she didn't know that the feeling was mutual. He was jealous of a fork, she thought and giggled. He had to look away from her while she ate just so that he wouldn't take her right there in the kitchen. She didn't need to see the evidence to his arousal to know that he was turned on. His eyes told her everything she needed to know.

o.O.o

After breakfast, Carlisle led Ella to the back entrance of the house. The day was pleasant, only slightly cloudy, and she enjoyed the fresh air. An idea crossed her mind when they passed a small stream about a mile south of the house.

"How fast are you, Carlisle?"

He raised a brow. "What do you have in mind, little minx?"

"Well," she drew out the word, "I'm wondering if your ego is ready for some...bruising." She smiled innocently. "How about we run?"

"You think you could keep up?" He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a tight embrace. "You don't even know where we're heading."

"I'm good with directions."

Amused, Carlisle decided to humor her. "We're headed to a meadow about three miles from here, in that direction." He gestured to their right.

"Three miles to the northeast?" She pointed, making sure to sound somewhat uncertain.

He nodded. "There is another crossing of the stream before you get there."

She took a step back, pulling away from him. "Well, then, I guess you better start moving..."

She was out of sight before he had a chance to respond. He chuckled, murmuring, "I'm going to get my ass handed to me," under his breath before darting after her.

Ella giggled as she ran, avoiding the low-hanging branches and boulders in her way. She could hear him behind her, gaining on her, and she pushed herself harder. She crossed the stream he mentioned only a moment before he did. She didn't need to look back to feel him closing in. As a vampire, Carlisle was easily caught in her Slayer senses, but as her soulmate, she could feel him in her chest. It was as though there was an invisible line connecting her to him. It was flexible, stretching as far as necessary when she was apart from Carlisle and contracting when they were near.

She made it to the meadow mere seconds before him, laughing as she did. "Getting old, Carlisle?"

He tackled her to the ground in response. Her instincts triggered, and she tossed him from above her and sprang to her feet.

"You, Elleanora, _cheated_." He smiled, but his eyes were smoldering as he looked at her.

Ella grinned. "All's fair in love and war."

He closed the distance between them in sure, predatory steps. "I ought to show you what cheaters get."

"Growling won't get you anywhere," she lied. Her body was already buzzing with the desire to feel him again.

In a quick movement, Carlisle tackled her to the ground again. This time, he grabbed her hands and held them above her head. He used his weight to hold her pinned to the ground. "Lying is a bad habit, Elleanora."

Not the least bit intimidated but very much turned on, she bucked her hips to rub herself against him. "So is teasing, but I still do it."

"I will show you teasing," he said, looking into her eyes. Holding her wrists with one hand, he moved his other hand down her arm, caressing the contours of her body. "I can smell how much you want me, cara. I can hear your pulse racing when I touch you. I can see the passion in your eyes." As he spoke, he moved his hand just under the curve of her breast. Very slowly and deliberately, he trailed a caress down her body and let his hand rest on her lower abdomen.

Ella felt herself burning with desire just from that single caress, and she didn't hold back the moan when he leaned down to kiss her neck or the growl of frustration when he only hovered above her skin, not touching her but letting his breath tickle her.

"Do you have any idea how much I love the taste of your skin?" he asked, his nose nudging her ear.

"Touch me, Carlisle," she begged in a whisper. "Please stop teasing."

His mouth attached to her neck then, sucking on the same spot where he'd placed his mark. "I can't resist your pleading. I am completely bewitched by you, Maga." He pulled away to look into her eyes. There were things he wanted to talk to her about, and if he allowed himself to get carried away again, they wouldn't be speaking at all for a very long time.

"What does that mean, Maga?"

"It means sorceress." Carlisle rolled off her but pulled her onto his lap when he sat up, not wanting to lose contact with her.

She laughed. "Well, I do have magic in my blood."

"Oh?"

"Everyone has at least some kind of magical energy flowing through them, but as a Slayer, magic is part of my bloodline. Magic is what makes me strong enough to _be_ the Slayer." Ella leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt safe there, and it was a sensation she had almost forgotten. "I don't know how much of an effect the Vampire Killer already had or would have on us, but Carly was good with magic even before this, so I'm guessing she has some kind of magic in her blood as well, only of a different kind."

"Are you saying that she's a witch?"

"I'm saying that her ancestors probably were, so she could become one if she wanted to."

"She doesn't want to?"

"I don't know. I've never asked her, to be honest." Ella frowned. "Now that I think of it...I'm not sure she knows that she can. I'll have to mention it the next time I talk to her."

"Ella..."

"What is it?" She straightened up. His tone was tainted with sadness, instantly alerting her that something was wrong.

"I know that we both must return to our lives come Monday, but...will you consider spending the rest of the weekend with me?"

She smiled brilliantly. "I would love to." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him in for a kiss. It was meant to be a short, gentle encounter, but it turned hungry quickly. When they pulled away several minutes later, Ella was panting.

"There was another thing I wanted to ask of you before you distracted me with that kiss."

She chuckled. "Don't pretend you didn't want to kiss me just as much as I wanted to kiss you."

"Never." He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "You're an adult, and the people of Forks think I'm just a few months short of twenty-four, but I still think that they would look disapprovingly at a relationship between us. I'm not ashamed of you," he was quick to say, "but I think that it might be smarter to keep things...private, at least until you graduate in two months' time."

"That makes sense. Small-town people can be very narrow-minded." She tried not to think about what Monday would bring, but it was useless. Thoughts of what people would say made her think about school, and school meant that she wouldn't be able to stay close to Carlisle. She wouldn't be able to touch him, see him, or even talk to him for a large part of her day. "I wish I could just drop out."

"Don't even think about it," he said sternly. "I won't let you throw away your future just because we have to wait a little while before we can go public as a couple."

"Until recently, I didn't really have much of a future to think about."

Carlisle shuddered visibly. "Please don't say such things. I can't even bear the thought of you being taken away from me."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, understanding the sentiment perfectly, and suddenly their clothes became an unbearable barrier between them. The need rose like flames inside her, gnawing at her and demanding to be satisfied. "Make love to me, Carlisle. Right here."

He took her mouth in the sweetest kiss then, trying to reassure them both that they were not about to be torn apart.

But Ella didn't want sweet. She needed him on the most basic level. Her Slayer had grown just as addicted to his demon as Ella had grown addicted to Carlisle. It was only a conscious effort that stopped her from tearing both his clothes and hers.

Carlisle understood her need for him—it was a perfect reflection of his need for her—and he understood her need to take rather than be taken. He leaned back and allowed her to take control.

Ella stopped thinking and gave in to her instincts the moment their clothes were gone. She clung to him, biting at his neck and clawing at his shoulders. She growled—almost an inhuman sound—when she finally took him into her.

He answered her growl with a guttural groan of his own. He didn't stop his hips from rising to meet her downward thrusts. He didn't stop his hands from holding on to her with the same desperation that she was holding on to him.

Their cries of release echoed in the forest around them as they continued to pleasure each other, each trying to get a fill of their mate only to come up starving moments after each peak.

* * *

_Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be posted on Friday, August 31st. Hope you have a wonderful weekend,_

_Alley Cat._


	27. You Spy, You Die

**Chapter Twenty-Seven – You Spy, You Die**

_Somewhere in the USA, March 22, 1999_

Esme was torn between wanting to rip the balls off of Adrian and wanting to pat him on his back when she saw the changing newborn he carried in his arms. She had been planning on ordering him to start training newborns that she would create, but she wasn’t expecting him to take such initiative.

Eventually, she decided that she would let him find out how hard a newborn was to handle on his own. She had more important matters to take care of.

“You can dump her in the cabin, but when she wakes up, you are in charge of potty-training the new puppy,” she told him before she left. A screaming human was fun and all, but she was not in the mood for a screaming human she couldn’t kill when they pissed her off.

Esme knew that Adrian held no love for anyone in what was left of his heart, and she didn’t care. He was a good soldier, even though he needed an occasional reminder of who was boss. She had some things to take care of, a theory to test. Having him perform the babysitting duties supplied her with the perfect excuse to disappear for a while.

Many men doubted that a woman like Esme could do much. With her light coloring and delicate complexion, she had always had an air of fragility bout her. It was an air she used to the best of her ability. Sometimes her greed got the better of her, Esme thought bitterly as her thoughts once again flashed back to the events in Italy. She would get her revenge for that, and if her theory was proven correct, she might have just found a way to create an unbeatable army.

She would need to get rid of the pet Adrian had brought in, though. The newborn vampire, unless it turned out to be gifted in some way that might help them, would be too weak to be of any use to her. Esme wasn’t about to keep a mouth that needed feeding if it wasn’t beneficial to her.

o.O.o

Esme returned with two newborns of her own two months to the day after Adrian brought in his pet. The newborns were male, strong, and not too big in the brain department—exactly what Esme needed to make her plan work.

“Adrian,” she called from the backyard, “come meet two new soldiers, Mitch and Jeff.”

Appearing in the doorway, Adrian stared at the two mountains of vampires with bright red eyes and frowned. They were not newly turned vampires; they had to be at least several weeks old. They were still soaked in human blood from what must have been their last feeding, and he knew that as soon as Michelle smelled them she’d go nuts.

He had had the longest two months in his entire un-life. Michelle had turned out to be a whiny, uncontrollable, jealous idiot.

Adrian did not bother speaking to the two bozos. “Hello, Mistress.”

“Where is your pet, Adrian?”

No sooner had she spoken the words and a flash of something black and small shot through the garden and attached itself to one of the males behind Esme.

“God, she’s worse than a bitch in heat.” Esme’s words were laced with equal amounts of disgust and gloating. “Have you had a nice time training her?”

Adrian almost groaned, but he made sure his expression and tone were nonchalant. “She sucks like a Hoover, but she’s dumb as a post.”

They glanced at the trio of newborns that was already half-naked and on their way to a full-blown orgy.

“I believe you on the Hoover,” Esme said as Mitch—or Jeff, she didn’t really bother to differentiate between them—began moaning like an injured dog while the woman wrapped her mouth around his cock. “If she’s as dumb as you say, get rid of her. When we take over the Cullen coven, I’m going to need soldiers that can do as they are told. Make sure that your hoover is up to par by then or unplug her cord.” ****

“I’ll find a use for her, Mistress,” Adrian promised. _And if I don’t...well, we always can use her as cannon fodder_ , he thought _._ He hated to admit it, but he had missed Esme while she was gone. Michelle had driven him to the brink of insanity the past two months; if she hadn’t sucked him off and fucked his brains out after every feeding, he would’ve gotten rid of her long before Esme returned.

There was something to be said for vampire stamina, he thought, but Michelle was...boring and way too eager to please. She lacked the imagination that Esme had, and Adrian was wondering how he could set things in a way that would grant him a satisfying round or two with Esme.

“I think they are going to be busy for a few hours.” Esme gave one last glance at the humping newborns before turning to Adrian. She saw the longing in his eyes and hid a grin at that. His pet might have satisfied his basic needs, but there was a reason countless men kneeled before Esméralda.

“Looks like it,” Adrian grumbled.

“Come with me, Adrian,” she ordered, walking in the direction of the nearest town. “I want you to bring me something to eat, and if you please me...” She let the promise hang in the air and didn’t look back. She knew he would follow.

Adrian fought the contradicting emotions inside him. He was eager to please her, excited at the prospect of getting what he had been wishing for not a moment earlier, but he felt sick at the thought that he was no better than a faithful lapdog jumping at the command of its master. Being able to feel all of that at once was bound to drive him out of his mind, he thought as he followed Esme.

He knew what she liked—young, healthy, untainted by drugs—and went about to bring her just that. He used the same technique to pick up two bottle-blondes in one of the bars as he had with Michelle, barely holding himself back from having a taste of his own as he brought them back to Esme.

“Come here, Adrian,” she purred. “Watch, don’t touch, and keep quiet.”

He nodded, understanding her instruction. The girl Esme picked was intoxicated enough not to mind when a foreign set of hands began caressing her. Esme grinned, pleased with the offering, and sunk her teeth into the succulent flesh. She made sure to moan, knowing that the sound would tease Adrian as much as the scent of fresh blood.

Adrian gritted his teeth, feeling himself harden and his mouth filling with venom. His eyes were glued to Esme’s hands as she touched and aroused the human girl, bringing her to orgasm a second before her heart stopped. The girl he was holding seemed to have realized that something was amiss, but before she could make a nuisance of herself, he shut her up with a kiss. He kept his eyes open and watchful of Esme as he moved his mouth to hover over the girl’s neck, struggling to hold himself back from biting.

“I would like to watch, my Adrian,” Esme said in a silky voice, her lips tainted bright red.

Adrian stripped the girl naked and brought her close to orgasm with his hands and mouth. He kept his strength at bay. He didn’t want to kill the girl—yet. Esme wouldn’t approve if he broke the toy too early in the game. The human moaned, arching toward the hand that was teasing her between her thighs.

“Please...stop teasing and fuck me.”

Adrian looked up at Esme for confirmation. Once it was granted, he lifted the pitiful human in his arms and impaled her on his cock. Her legs wrapped around his waist and made a feeble attempt to press her against him. She tried to dig her nails in the muscles of his back, but her nails glided off, not finding grip.

“Fuck her, my sweet Adrian,” Esme whispered, coming closer to the couple. She kept eye-contact with him as she approached. Finally, she stood behind the girl, almost touching her. “Make her scream, and then share her with me.”

Elated at the offer, Adrian quickly moved his hand between himself and the human. She was already tittering on the verge of an orgasm, so it didn’t take more than a few strokes to get her to shatter around his cock.

Esme sank her teeth into the human’s neck as soon as she threw her head back in ecstasy.

Red, delicious blood spurted from the wound inflicted by Esme, and Adrian moaned as he leaned down to lick the trail before biting above the breast and helping himself to the source. He continued pumping in and out of her body as he drank.

He couldn’t look away from Esme as she sucked the life out of the human he was fucking. Her eyes whispered promises to him that he’d been imagining since the first days after she’d left.

The human’s last heartbeat faded, and Adrian dropped her unceremoniously to the dirty ground of the warehouse.

“May I worship you, Mistress?” he whispered. He was too aroused to care that he was begging. The human’s body had not provided him with much pleasure other than the taste of her blood, and he was painfully hard.

“On your knees, my Adrian,” Esme ordered, smiling in a way that had driven countless other men—human and vampire alike—to the brink of insanity. “You will start from my ankles. If you please me, I will make sure that your cock is not left unsatisfied.”

Adrian dropped to his knees before Mistress and began working on her body. He had missed the taste of her skin, he thought as he licked from her ankles to her knees and up to her sex. He reached behind her and made sure that he treated the skirt she was wearing with enough tenderness that it did not tear. He had been punished severely whenever he hadn’t been careful enough with Mistress’ clothes, and he didn’t want to be punished tonight.

“Good, Adrian,” she complimented him. “Now, remind me why I allow you to keep your tongue.”

He growled but a sharp slap of her hand across his face, her fingers curled into claws to leave marks, silenced him.

“On your back!” she commanded. “You are not worthy of being on your knees before me.”

Fighting another growl, Adrian lay obediently on his back, welcoming her as she sat above his face. He didn’t need any further commands. He began to lick and nibble and suck. He used his fingers to penetrate her both from the front and back, and he sucked like no human ever could until she screamed and shuddered above him.

“Mmm... I am pleased with you, Adrian.” She reached behind her to his crotch. He was painfully hard, and when her fingers wrapped around his naked flesh, he released a guttural sound of pleasure.

Esme made sure that he was teetering on the edge before she paused and said, “Remember who gives you pleasure.”

He moaned, frustrated.

“I can give you pleasure, and I can give you pain,” she continued, giving him a painful squeeze. “Be a good little vampire and you’ll get pleasure. Be bad and...well, you’ll be missing an important part of your anatomy. Understood?”

“Yes...Mistress.” He had barely groaned out the words when her hand suddenly sped up, making him spill his seed in her hand.

o.O.o

Esme and Adrian returned to the house that had become their headquarters of sorts to see that the trio of newborns was still going at it. Esme frowned, and Adrian was quick to try to get Michelle to listen to him.

After several failed attempts at getting her attention, Esme approached the female and pulled her by her hair away from the cock she was sucking so enthusiastically.

“What the fuck?” Michelle wailed at the interruption, turning to growl and hiss at the vampire who held her. Two hard slaps had her ears ringing, and she tried to bite the hand of said vampire.

Esme threw the brat to the ground before Michelle could do any damage. “Adrian, control your pet or she won’t live long enough to try that little trick again.”

Michelle instantly got to her feet, blind with rage and ready to attack. Before she could launch herself at Esme, however, Adrian stopped her. He pulled both of her hands behind her back and placed a punishing bite on her shoulder. She cried in pain but didn’t dare move. If there was anything that would instantly freeze a vampire, it was having the teeth of another anywhere near their neck.

“You never— _ever_ —attack Mistress, got that?”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

“Good. You better remember that lesson,” Esme said. “I only teach things once. The next time, you will end up as nothing but a pile of ashes. Adrian, I have an assignment for you. Come inside when you’re done here.”

Esme turned away from the scene. She knew that he would discipline his pet now. The bite to the shoulder was only the beginning. Hearing the screams outside, Esme grinned. She had taught him well.

o.O.o

_Forks, March 22, 1999_

Ella found herself dreading the following morning. Monday. The first day back to school after spring break. Unable to leave him, she had spent the night with Carlisle again, opting for waking up an hour earlier than normal to go back to her house rather than being apart. Carlisle insisted on driving her, and their goodbye kiss in his car nearly caused her to be late despite the early rising.

His hospital shift started before her classes and would end long after she returned home. She told him to stop by on his way back, regardless of how late it was, and he promised that he would. She kept that promise in the forefront of her mind as she drove Carly and herself to school. The drive was very quiet as both girls were in the same predicament—missing their partners very much after the weekend that was spent with them.

During classes, Ella found it hard to concentrate on her studies. Her mind kept wandering to Carlisle. After giving up trying to listen to the teacher, she attempted to focus on the good memories that she had from the weekend—especially of the nights spent making love to her soul mate—but the more she thought of him, the worse she felt. At first it was just an irritation, but by lunch she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a panic attack, or a tantrum. _Or all three_.

The student body had long since learned to leave the Belmont sisters to their own devices, so lunch was a quiet, uneventful hour in which Ella and Carly sat at their usual table, not saying much to each other. Carly ate—nothing could stand in the way of her appetite—but Ella did little more than take a few bites and shift the rest around her plate.

Afternoon classes were a trial to Ella’s patience as she was called out twice by the same teacher, both times for not having the faintest idea what the right answer was, and she received detention for the first time since moving to Forks.

“I’ll wait for you,” Carly said when Ella told her about the detention. “I can get started on my homework and meet up with you in the parking lot when you’re done.”

“Thanks, Carly.” Ella tried to smile, but her sister’s frown told her that she wasn’t fooling her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the nurse’s office and go home? You look almost as pale as Alice and Jasper.”

Ella rolled her eyes at that. “I’m fine. I’ll see you here in an hour.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” Carly’s gaze followed Ella as she made her way to detention.

o.O.o

Ella gave the slip to the teacher and made her way to the desk at the back of the class. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to concentrate enough to do her homework but, for the sake of appearance, took out her books and notebook and began to doodle. Her attention was drawn when she heard the door open and everyone become silent for a moment. Looking up, she instantly understood the reason.

Alice Cullen walked in and handed the teacher a slip of her own. Alice Cullen got detention? That was definitely a first, Ella thought. She got her second shock when Alice ignored all the empty seats and opted to sit next to her.

“Since when do _you_ get detention?” Ella asked, so quietly that there was no chance for anyone but Alice to hear her.

Alice shrugged. “I heard you got one and decided that I should keep you company.”

“I don’t need the company,” Ella grumbled and turned back to her doodling.

“You miss him.”

Ella shrugged.

“You can talk to me, you know. I understand how you feel. I miss Jasper as well.”

“Even after all this time?”

“Yes. It does get easier with time, but I still feel like I’m incomplete whenever I’m not with him.”

“I feel like my entire body is about to freeze over or go up in flames,” Ella murmured, swallowing back the lump in her throat. “My skin is crawling. My pulse is either so fast I can’t hear anything but my own heart or so slow that I feel dizzy.”

Alice risked placing a hand on Ella’s shoulder. When Ella didn’t shake it off, she took it as a good sign and kept it there. “Since you’re not really interested in doing your homework, how about we do something else to help distract you?”

“Like what?”

“I think that we should design a dress for you for prom.”

Ella raised her head from her doodling. “Who said I’m going to prom?”

“I did. Mrs. Barsky? Ella and I have a project to do for English class. Is it okay if we worked on it now?”

“As long as you’re quiet, you may work on it.” The teacher was familiar enough with both girls’ behavioral history to know that she wouldn’t have any problems with them. She turned her attention to another pair and sighed. Shirley Corey and Dave Chandler were regulars in detention. “Miss Corey, please move to the desk behind you. Mr. Chandler, I happen to know that Mr. Varner gave your class plenty of homework. I suggest you get on with it.”

Alice pulled out a notebook from her schoolbag and opened it. “I see no problem with you taking Carlisle to prom.”

“Actually...” Ella saw that Alice had already begun sketching. “Alice, we decided to keep things private until I graduate. It would be easier that way.”

“Then it’s going to be your dress for graduation.” Alice’s tone said that there would be no arguing about this.

“A graduation dress it is, then.”

o.O.o

The first week after spring break proved to be the hardest week, emotionally. Every single hour she had to spend apart from Carlisle was pure hell. On that first day, she’d thrown herself into his arms almost before he had time to exit the car. They hadn’t made it to the bed the first time around, both starving for each other.

They’d laughed at their enthusiasm later while lying in his bed, but they agreed that there was no point in pretending that they could spend the night apart.

She’d approached Carly with her thoughts about her potential, and her sister lit up instantly. Daniel, too, was dragged into the idea since he was the one with the practical knowledge, and so the first weekend after spring break was spent with Carly attempting to make a sheet of paper levitate in the air for a few seconds at a time.

That spell had resulted in many burnt pages, some broken glass, and the six of them—Carly, Daniel, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Ella—bursting out in laughter every time anyone mentioned that day. With Ella involved, Alice couldn’t predict the results, so she was as surprised as everyone else when the paper caught fire, the glass broke, or they got sprayed with cold water appearing out of nowhere.

After the rather disastrous beginning, Carly improved greatly, but she was taking things slow. All of the spells that she attempted were small and basic, and she always had Daniel or Ella watching over just in case.

Carlisle and Ella were able to keep a low profile—neither was a stranger to keeping secrets—and as the weeks passed, the people in Forks continued to be oblivious of their relationship.

Carly and Daniel seemed to be growing closer as well, Ella noted. Recently, Daniel mentioned that he was considering renting the house next door to theirs. Carly seemed to be thrilled by the prospect, but Ella could see that she was nervous.

As arrangements were made and Daniel’s things were moved to Forks, Ella noticed that Carly began losing focus and messing up basic spells.

One day in May, Ella decided that she’d waited enough and confronted Carly.

“What are you so nervous about?”

“He’s seven years my senior,” Carly said. “ _Seven years_ , Ella! What am I thinking?”

“Carly, reality check? My boyfriend is three and a half _centuries_ my senior, and I still spend every night in his bed.”

Carly made a disgusted face. “I _really_ didn’t need to have _that_ spelled out for me.”

“Hey, let me ask you one question. Do you love him?”

Carly nodded.

“Have you told him?”

Another nod.

“Has he told you that he loves you too?” Ella saw the answer in Carly’s face when her sister blushed and grinned like a fool. “Then stop overthinking it. Carly...if there’s anything I’ve learned in the past two—almost three—years, it’s that you can’t let things like what others might think stand in your way. Life doesn’t really give you second chances; you need to grab the first one you get and run with it.”

“When did you get all smart on me?”

“Around the same time you got all stupid.” Ella dodged the pillow Carly threw at her. She was smiling, though, because Carly used her magic to throw the pillow. “Your spells seem to work again.”

“You’re really asking for it...”

“Oh, come on. I’m just kidding, and you know it. No, no more pillows!”

“Fine. You’re no fun.”

Ella laughed. “I’m plenty fun. I just don’t think that my idea of fun matches yours.”

“Ew! Don’t even _go_ there!”

“You have a dirty mind, Carly. I’m going over to Alice’s. She wants me to do another round of measurements.” Ella rolled her eyes. “I swear—it feels like she’s designing and sewing me a wedding dress.”

“Don’t even mention it.” Carly groaned. “I’m trying to hide from her.”

“If it’s not about shoes, you don’t really care, eh?”

“You’re _really_ asking for it.”

“Oh, bring it on!”

“Er, I think the good people of Forks might notice if a house went up in flames in the middle of the day,” Alice said, standing in the entryway.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?” Carly grumbled.

“I did knock. You were too busy trying to kill each other.”

“Oh, come on. You know all too well that if we were really trying to kill each other, Carly would have been dead by now.” Ella walked over and gave Alice a hug. They two girls had grown close during the past weeks. Alice understood Ella’s feelings of separation, and Ella understood Alice’s struggle with trying to be normal while being anything but. “I assume you’re here to make sure I don’t get lost on the way?”

“Actually, I’m here to tell you that Carlisle, Jasper, and Daniel went to get some book in Aramaic or Latin or whatever and left me all alone.” Alice pouted. “I came over to bring both of you to our house so I can have some female company until they return.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Latin,” Carly defended.

Ella and Alice exchanged a look.

“If you think you’re avoiding quality-time spent with me, Carly, you’re wrong.” Alice smiled as she spoke. She knew that Carly wasn’t a fan of the process, but she was going to make sure that all three of them looked smashing at graduation. And if it meant dragging Carly a little...well, everyone had to make sacrifices.

o.O.o

Carly was all too happy when Alice told her she was done and moved on to Ella. She liked seeing the process of the dresses coming together—and she had to admit to herself that Alice was a true artist with a needle—but she didn’t enjoy being the model.

“Alice, do you think Forks is ready for the awesomeness that is Alice Cullen Couture?” Carly asked as Alice fussed over some flaw in Ella’s dress that was only visible to Alice’s eyes.

“Hmm...” Alice cocked her head to the side, thinking about it. “I like the name.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Is she purposefully ignoring what I’m saying or is that just her thing?”

Ella laughed. “I believe that’s part of Alice’s charm.”

“All right, you two, no more joking at my expense.” Alice straightened out. “You,” she pointed to Ella, “get out of this dress. You,” she turned to Carly, “come with me. I have something for you.”

Ella smiled when she entered Alice’s bathroom. It was almost as big as the bedroom. It had vast marble countertops and a bathtub large enough for three or four people. It wasn’t the room that was making her smile, nor the dress, as beautiful as it was; it was seeing Carly and Alice becoming friends.

She quickly changed out of the dress and into her own clothes before following Alice and Carly down to the second floor. Things had changed around the house since her practically moving in. Alice had enjoyed going with her to pick out small trinkets and redecorating the cold, unlived-in house. The third floor was Alice and Jasper’s domain, so Alice did all of the redecorating there, but they collaborated on the rest of the house and made it homey and inviting.

The first floor of the house had gone through the biggest changes. Gone were the cold, pale colors. The kitchen was constantly in use and held several appliances on the countertops as well as fresh flowers and fruit. In the living room, new upholstery had been applied to the couches in a warm chocolate color, a new coffee table had been added, and the rug had been removed to show the beautiful wooden floor.

The backyard had gotten some new garden furniture as well, and everyone had had a wonderful time celebrating with an outdoor barbeque on one of the rare sunny days when the Cullens stayed at home. Granted, Ella, Carly, and Daniel were the only ones who had actually enjoyed the food, but it had been fun nonetheless.

Thinking about the party and the redecorating, Ella smiled as she walked down the stairs to Alice’s office, where she could hear her and Carly talking. She stopped before entering the room when a realization hit her. She had a family now—two brothers in the form of Jasper and Daniel, two sisters in the form of Carly and Alice, who argued like no one but sisters could, and her soul mate Carlisle. She had lost so much in the past two years, hurt so much, but now she had her reward. She had gotten a family again.

“Oh, Ella, come in! Look!” Carly gave a high-pitched squeal that had Ella covering her ears.

“By the level of noise she’s making, I’m guessing it’s about shoes?” Ella looked at Alice for an answer, seeing as Carly appeared to be beyond words.

Alice nodded.

“It’s not just shoes! These are original Christian Louboutins!”

Ella approached to see a pale pink shoe standing on the desk. The shoe had a red sole and flower frilling on the side. “These are four-inch heels, Carly.”

“Four and a half,” she corrected.

“Four and a half.” Ella rolled her eyes, making Alice giggle. “You can’t walk in shoes that high. That’s insane.”

“I don’t want to walk in them!” Carly said in shock. “I want to frame them!”

Ella’s mouth popped open, but Alice calmly said, “Well, I thought they’d go nicely with your graduation dress, Carly. It would be a shame to leave them on a wall somewhere where no one can see them.” Alice winked at Ella’s shocked expression. “Now, I have shoes for you as well, Ella.”

“After seeing Carly’s, I’m thinking this isn’t such a good idea.”

“Oh, shush. Here.” Alice handed her a shoebox.

Ella eyed Alice suspiciously as she opened the box. She gasped when she saw the pair. It had a much smaller heel, but their design was absolutely unique. The sandal was made of small triangles of red leather sewn in a haphazard pattern with black framing around each of the triangles. They looked stylish yet not over-the-top girlie. “I love them, thank you!”

“They are going to be perfect with your dress,” Carly said. “Alice, you are a genius. Thank you so much!”

Alice smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Ella was about to ask about Alice’s own dress—she’d kept it a close secret and wouldn’t tell anyone what she was going to wear—but she felt a tingling in the back of her mind that told her they had company. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you go—?” Carly wasn’t able to complete the question before Ella was gone. She turned to ask Alice, but she was gone as well. “Great. Leave the human alone to wonder what the hell’s going on.”

o.O.o

Ella flew out of the room, grabbed the Vampire Killer from her bag, and flung herself toward the backyard from the second floor balcony. Taking the stairs might have delayed her long enough for the intruder—whoever it might be—to make his escape, and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

Once she was out of the house, she could sense that there were two vampires present. One was very close, but the other was much further inside the forest. It took no longer than a second for her to decide to attack the closer vampire first rather than chase down the second one. This threat was much closer to home. The other presence seemed to be several miles east. It was possible that the second vampire was not even related to this one.

The past weeks had been surprisingly quiet in the Slayer’s life, so she was eager for a good fight when she finally saw the female vampire hiding up in one of the trees. Grinning, Ella dashed to the tree and kicked the trunk. Countless splinters flew in the air as a high pitched scream of rage could be heard from the vampire above.

She tried to make a run for it but was cut off when Ella appeared in front of her, blocking her path.

“Oh, not gonna stay for dessert?” Ella flipped the Vampire Killer and grabbed hold of its short end. “What a shame...and you make such lovely company.”

Michelle relaxed her stance as she heard the sound of a pulse from the girl before her. _A mere human_ , she thought, _and she thinks she can fight off a vampire? Ridiculous!_ “Oh, I was just taking a little stroll in the forest.”

Ella rolled her eyes at the saccharine tone. She could feel another vampire approaching from behind her, a familiar one. “Alice, there’s another one further to the east. See if you can deal with him while I take out the trash.”

“With pleasure,” Alice replied before flying past them.

Michelle didn’t bother to respond to the insult. As soon as it was clear that the vampire was not staying, she attacked the human, aiming for her neck.

She was easily deflected with a kick to her stomach. Shocked, she found herself flying through the air, the world turning upside down, and she struggled to land on her feet.

Ella smirked at the stunned expression on the vampire’s face. Her inner Slayer was pouting when all it took was another kick to the vampire’s back before Ella straddled the demon and used the blade that appeared on the side of the Vampire Killer to behead her opponent.

“That was too easy,” Ella protested. She was just as disappointed as her Slayer was at that mockery of a fight.

By the time Alice returned a few moments later, Ella had already finished dismembering the vampire.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find anyone,” Alice said, handing her a lighter.

“Thanks.” Ella set fire to the remains and watched the flames as they ate away at the body. “I don’t know if that second vampire had anything to do with this one.”

“Still, better safe than sorry,” Alice agreed. “Ella, you okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” Ella blinked a few times, taking deep breaths. “Just a little dizzy.”

Alice looked down to see the Vampire Killer still in Ella’s hands. “I’m not sure using this weapon is the best idea...”

“I could have taken her out without it,” Ella allowed. “I just feel...better when I have it near me. Come on, let’s head back to the house. When did you say the boys were coming back?”

Alice frowned at Ella’s light tone and quick dismissal. She didn’t like the slight shakiness she could see in Ella’s movements as she made her way to the house. Thinking that there was no point in arguing with Ella, Alice decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

o.O.o

Adrian did not dedicate a single thought to Michelle after she was spotted. The stupid newborn was more trouble than she was worth. Hell, he thought, she had nearly gotten _him_ in trouble with Mistress. Things were about to change, though. He grinned as he crossed the border. Things were _definitely_ about to change.

_Enjoy breathing, Slayer, for you won’t be doing that for much longer._

* * *

_Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be posted on Friday, September 14th. Hope you have a wonderful weekend,_

_Alley Cat._


	28. Lie to Me

**Chapter Twenty-Eight – Lie to Me**

_Friday, May 28, 1999_

"You knew." Elizabeth looked at her great-aunt with accusation shining clear in her eyes. "You knew all along."

"Yes, I did." Adele's eyes and tone were soft, understanding. "Richter approached me eight years ago, asking for my help."

"So everything was lies?" Elizabeth demanded. "I let my friend suffer because of you!"

"Not everything was lies," Adele said calmly. "I am sorry that Ella had to go through pain and suffering, but it was inevitable." Her heart contracted in her chest, shooting pain through her body, as she watched her great-niece's hurt expression.

"I can't believe you lied to me." Elizabeth leaned back in her chair. "Why? What was so important that you had to lie to me? To  _me_ , Aunt. Why?" She ignored the tears streaming down her face and looked pointedly at the woman who practically raised her after her mother's death.

Adele sighed. She ached to offer a hug but knew Elizabeth wouldn't accept it. "Richter first contacted me just short of twenty years ago. He had been searching for distant family members. As you know, there weren't many left, and those who were still living did not want to be found."

Elizabeth nodded, well aware of that fact.

"I was hesitant to trust him, but he knew things that no one other than our family knew. He knew of the existence of the Vampire Killer, and he also knew about the Keepers and what they were keeping. I was still cautious until two years into our correspondence, when he revealed a piece of information that finally allowed me to trust him impeccably."

"What was it?"

"He told me that he was the reason Christopher survived the night his parents were attacked. Richter was severely injured in the fight, but he was able to take Chris to safety. Elizabeth," Adele waited until her great-niece looked at her, "the people who attacked Chris were sent by the Council. They were looking for Belmonts, and they found Chris's family. Christopher's mother was a Slayer, a strong one, but the Council brought on very powerful demons to fight them. Richter brought Chris to our family because he knew that the Council did not know about us. We were too distant to appear in any official records they had, and Richter thought that it would be enough to keep Chris alive."

"The Council knew about Richter?" Elizabeth asked, pushing the pain of betrayal away for the moment. She needed to know these facts, needed the full story.

"Yes. They were looking for him, and while he was able to stay one or two steps ahead, he knew that it would not last for long. He deliberately attracted their attention in years to come, Elizabeth. He knew that he was in danger, but he still made sure to periodically show up on the Council's radar to keep them from looking for us."

"Why would he take that risk?"

"Because Richter knew that the prophecy you've found could only refer to Christopher's child. Richter himself could not father children of his own. Christopher was the last direct male descendant to the Belmont bloodline." Adele watched Elizabeth's shoulder slump. "I'm sorry that I could not tell you beforehand, but the risk was too great. When Richter came to me eight years ago, he knew that he was dying. Whether it would be the Council or his illness that caught up to him first, he knew not, but he couldn't hold on to the diaries and scroll that you're now holding. It was too important to let it fall into the Council's hands."

"Did he know about Ella?"

Adele nodded. "He told me that he'd found Katerina but that it had been too late. Chris was dead, and their child was already in the hands of the Council. He gave me the diaries and the scroll to hide where no one but my family knew. He told me that he was going to lead Katerina's child to us, and he did as he had promised."

"Why didn't you tell me this once we knew that Ella was the one? Why didn't you just give us the diaries and prophecy?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "For years, you've been talking about the one that would come to save our family, but when she comes, you hide this information. Why?"

Adele took a deep breath, reminding herself that Elizabeth was entitled to her anger. "Ella needed to master the Vampire Killer before I could tell her of the prophecy, Elizabeth. She needed to be able to yield the weapon to her will before she could truly fulfill her destiny. If we were to interfere, she would have shifted her focus, and I could not afford this. I am sorry for misleading you, but it had to be done."

"Duty! Is that the only thing you care about?" Elizabeth cried. "Family should be more important,  _is_  more important."

"It is for the sake of the family that I did my duty."

Elizabeth felt her hands begin to shake with anger and hurt. How could her great-aunt claim to hurt them for their own sake? It was sick! "I'm leaving."

"Elizabeth, wait!" Adele called after her as the young woman stormed out of the room. "Please, Elizabeth, let me—" The rest of the words remained unspoken as the door was shut in her face.

She sighed heavily and collapsed on the sofa. She tried reminding herself that things had to be done this way, but the hurt expression on Elizabeth's face continued to haunt her thoughts long after the door was shut, bringing tears to Adele's eyes.

o.O.o

As she made her way back to her apartment, Elizabeth thought back to the way her day had begun. She'd been going over the contact list Ella had found in the cemetery for the umpteenth time—the list she'd found on the first night they'd met—and just like in previous times, Elizabeth had found nothing new. Finally, she decided to call Adele for help.

Adele's question, "Have you looked at the other side of the paper?" had seemed innocent then.

She hadn't, and when she did, she found markings there. Murmuring a quick, "Thank you," she hung up the phone and returned to examining the note. Deciphering the markings was not easy, but she had a breakthrough around noon.

" _Pray for forgiveness, for mercy, and for strength. Information given to us by God cannot be, by man, replaced._ "

It was obvious to her that she needed to find a place of worship, a place where someone could pray, and that there was something to be found there. It was only a matter of where to start. When Adele called after lunch to ask about her progress, Elizabeth told her of her finds. After a short consultation, it was decided that Apostelkirche—St. Aposteln church, the largest church in the area—was the best place to start.

She had suspected nothing when she had made her way to the church or when it had taken little more than a simple inquiry with Ms. Angela Eckhart, one of the officials in the church, for Elizabeth to be led to the attic and handed a small box. She had opened the box in the privacy of her car and found a virtual treasure—diaries written by Ella's mother and a scroll containing a prophecy about the Belmont bloodline.

She'd suspected nothing up to the point when she opened one of Katerina's diaries only to find a letter from Richter Belmont concealed between its pages. Richter wrote that he'd left instructions with a close friend, exact orders of how to find the diaries and the prophecy. It had been that note that had sent Elizabeth lashing out at Adele, throwing the deceit in her face. It had been that note, the diaries, and the prophecy that had led to her flying out of Adele's apartment and booking tickets to Seattle for the following day.

The plan had formed in her head before she'd made it to her apartment. The need to inform Ella and Carly of her discovery was only part of it. The need to put some distance between herself and Adele was a major contributor to the urgency.

Once the suitcase had been packed and everything was ready for her departure, Elizabeth sat down to examine the diaries again. With rain falling outside her window, adding to her melancholy, she spotted familiar words in the writing. Reading carefully, she knew that she had indeed stumbled—or had been led to—a treasure.

o.O.o

Carlisle watched Ella and Jasper with worry, his body rigid.

Ella kept a smooth face, her eyes on her opponent as she waited for his next move. His face gave very little away, and she found that she enjoyed the challenge.

Jasper was relying on his years of training as a soldier rather than his instincts. He had learned early in his life as a vampire that instincts were good only as a basis. With his training with Ella, he learned that her instincts were attuned to his, and he found himself working much harder than he had expected when training with her.

He lunged, moving almost too quickly for her to see, and she evaded at the last minute before his fist made contact with her face. She pulled on his outstretched hand before he could retract it and threw him over her head.

Twisting in midair, Jasper landed on his feet rather than his back and was ready to block the kick she'd sent toward his torso.

His next punch reached its target, and Ella felt the breath being knocked out of her for a moment before she recovered. She jumped to dodge a low kick and squatted to dodge a high one, and she used her fists whenever she saw an opening in Jasper's defense.

Jasper watched her every move, displaying no emotion as they sparred. He managed to knock her off her feet and pin her down, but she turned the situation around in the next fraction of a second, using his own weight against him.

Carlisle had to grit his teeth to keep himself from responding every time Ella took a hit. They'd been practicing for weeks, but it was the first time Carlisle had been able to watch without interfering.

His every instinct demanded that he protect his mate against the attack. However, he understood that in order for her to become a better fighter, there was no one better than Jasper to train her. So he stood back, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into tight fists.

The fight before him was not the only thing on his mind, though. The curse of his vampire mind was that he could think about more than one thing, feel more than one emotion at a time, and each could be equally as important and prominent in his thoughts.

The other thing on his mind this summer afternoon was a conversation he had had with Jasper two weeks ago. They'd been on a hunting trip, one that Alice had opted out of, and Jasper had approached Carlisle with his concerns regarding Ella.

" _What is it?" Instantly, Carlisle was on alert._

" _I don't know, to be honest, but I know that there is_ _something_ _going on." Jasper continued to say that he had noticed several changes in Ella, changes that were not natural._

" _She was always strong, Jasper," Carlisle argued when Jasper pointed that as one of the changes._

" _Yes, but she is growing stronger still."_

" _It could be the Vampire Killer. We know that it had an effect on her before."_

_Jasper was shaking his head even before Carlisle even finished. "She ends up dizzy and weakened each time she uses that bloody thing. There's more. Her scent is...different. It's more similar to yours."_

" _Of course it's similar to mine. I don't need to explain to you how_ _that happens, do I?"_

" _That's not what I mean, Carlisle. It's not like it was in the beginning when I could smell you all over each other." He let himself smile at that when he saw the look of pride and longing in Carlisle's eyes. "She smells of you even after showering and being parted from you for a full day. It's like she carries your scent_ _inside_ _her body, inside her blood."_

" _I am not sure I understand what you're implying here."_

" _As Alice was going through the change, there were slight changes in her body—her curves grew slightly fuller, her pelvis widened just a fraction, her body lengthened a bit. The most prominent change, however, was her scent. Her unique human scent was intermixed with mine."_

_Realization quickly dawned on Carlisle. "You think she might be changing."_

" _I don't know. I've never heard it being done this way." Jasper decided against mentioning the fact that there were rarely survivors when a vampire took a human to bed. "I'm just worried. She's not a normal human. We don't know how her body reacts to the presence of venom, in any form."_

" _From what I've seen, it reacts like a human body," Carlisle said, recalling how her skin healed after he had bitten her. "The change in the scent could be attributed to the minute trace of venom that was left in her bloodstream when I bit her. It's not that prominent, anyway, and I have not seen the physical changes that you mentioned in Alice happening in Ella."_

_Jasper nodded, agreeing, and the subject was dropped for the rest of their trip._

Carlisle kept recalling that conversation in the following days, though. He'd been watching Ella, and the change in her scent, once pointed out to him, was constantly at the front of his thoughts. Every time they were close, he found himself inhaling her scent to track the changes. Every single time, he could detect them. She  _did_  smell more like him with each passing week. And his worry could never subside.

As he watched her lithe body slice through the air yet again as she avoided one of Jasper's attacks, Carlisle noted that there was a new roundness to her hips, one that hadn't been there last week.

The changes that Jasper had spoken of were staring him right in the face.

o.O.o

Practice finished, Ella walked with Carlisle back home. He was brooding again, she thought. She'd noticed him doing so more often lately, and she wondered if she should worry about it.

"What's on your mind, Carlisle?"

"Oh, nothing," he lied and forced a smile to his lips. He didn't want to worry her before he ran some tests to confirm his suspicions.

She saw the lie but decided to trust that he would come to her once he put his thoughts in order. "Come on, old man, let's get to the house. I'm starving!"

Carlisle chuckled—as she had hoped he would—and increased his pace to match hers.

They made it back to the house in a matter of minutes, and Carlisle suggested making her meal while she took a shower and cleaned herself up. He had been practicing several simple dishes and found that he enjoyed it. While others might have found it odd, he understood that the need to supply nurturing for his mate was part of his more instinctual side; he simply adapted to the needs of her diet.

His mood shifted again as he watched her eat and saw the obvious pleasure she derived from the meal.

"This is amazing! You are getting really good at this."

"Thank you." He couldn't help his tone from growing husky. His eyes watched carefully as she cut another piece of the steak and took it into her mouth, humming with pleasure at the taste.

He held himself in place by sheer will-power while she ate. It was a sweet kind of torture; she was enjoying something he had given her, prepared for her, but the sounds were making him want to take her right in the middle of the kitchen, company be damned.

"This is delicious! I don't think I've ever eaten something so good." Taking another bite of the steak, she asked, "What did you put on it?"

"Nothing special," he said. "Salt and pepper, and I cooked it till it was medium-rare."

"That's medium-rare?" Ella looked down at the meat before her, noticing how pink it was for the first time.

"Yes. I cooked it to medium last time, and you said that it felt overdone."

She took another bite, chewing it slowly and thoughtfully. It tasted just as divine as the previous bites had.

"Is there something wrong?" He noticed her frowning slightly and didn't miss how carefully she was looking at the meat.

"No, nothing." She smiled at him. "I should have tried medium-rare a long time ago. Nothing ever tasted this good." Her eyes darkened a bit as she looked him over. "Well, almost nothing."

Carlisle was already leaning down to kiss her when they were interrupted by Alice walking into the kitchen.

"Carly just called. We're going to have a visitor tomorrow."

"Who's coming?" Ella asked.

"Elizabeth Almond," Alice replied. "Carly said that she uncovered some information that we all needed to know."

"Did she say when her flight lands?" Carlisle asked. "I think we should pick her up from the airport."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Ella commented, smiling at him.

"Actually, Carly said that she and Daniel will pick her up and bring her back here so we could all talk. I told Carly we'll have the guest room prepared for Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Alice," Carlisle said. "What time is her flight?"

Ella listened only halfheartedly while Alice updated Carlisle on the details. She was more concerned with the news Elizabeth had to share. Something told her that she wasn't going to like it very much.

o.O.o

"How was your flight?" Daniel asked as he took Elizabeth's luggage from her and moved aside to let Carly hug the young woman.

"Long and tiring." Elizabeth tried for a smile. She was too emotional for it to reach her eyes, but she did hug Carly with all her might.

Pulling back, Carly gave Elizabeth a long, careful look. "Did someone run over your dog?"

"I don't own one," Elizabeth said. "I'm allergic."

"I can and will use force if necessary to get whatever's bothering you out of you."

Elizabeth managed a chuckle. "I promise to tell you everything—later. Right now, I need some rest and a shower."

"You can sleep during the ride—it's four hours long—and you can shower at the Cullens'. Just  _wait_  till you see Alice's bathroom. It's freaking huge!"

"Alice? Cullens?" Elizabeth was confused. "Did you guys move?"

"I think you have some catching up to do," Daniel said.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"It all started when we arrived back home from the airport," Carly began before filling Elizabeth in on everything that had happened since they'd left Europe.

o.O.o

Carly had called when they were passing through Port Angeles, so Elizabeth wasn't surprised to find four people waiting for them on the front porch when they arrived at the Cullens' house.

"I'm glad to see you again, Elizabeth."

"It's good to see you too, Ella."

Ella tried not to frown at the poor imitation of a smile that Elizabeth offered her and turned to introduce everyone while Daniel took her suitcase out of the trunk. "This is Alice, her mate and husband, Jasper, and this is my Carlisle. Everyone, this is Elizabeth, our friend from Germany and a distant relative of mine."

Carlisle smiled at the way she introduced him, loving the possessiveness, and he offered his hand to Elizabeth.

Having ample warning from Carly, Elizabeth didn't start at the cold touch of his hand.

"Welcome to Forks." Jasper stepped forward with Alice but offered only a nod of his head as he sensed Elizabeth's apprehension and didn't want to add to it.

"Thank you."

"You must be tired," Alice said. "Let me show you to the guest room so you can shower and unpack while we get started on lunch."

"Thank you, a shower and some food sound almost divine right now."

Ella grinned. "You have no idea! Carlisle cooks better than that fancy TV chef Carly has the hots for."

"I do not! Besides, you think he's cute, too!"

"Cute is the kiss of death for men," Alice interfered. "You  _definitely_  have the hots for him."

"On whose side are you, Alice?" Carly demanded.

Before Alice could answer, Daniel interrupted. "Oh, for the love of God, can we please come in?" He knew that, if allowed, the girls could stand there and argue for ages.

"Sheesh, you're getting grumpy in your old age, aren't ya?" Ella asked.

Carly raised a brow. "Sure you want to go there, Elleanora?"

Carlisle laughed. "I think she has you on that one, Ella." He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "Let our guest get settled in and come help me in the kitchen."

"Yeah...help you in the kitchen...is that what they're calling it these days?" Carly eyed the couple skeptically.

"I'll make sure they behave," Jasper promised.

"We're not that bad," Ella grumbled as they walked inside the house.

"You're worse," Alice said, smiling.

o.O.o

After lunch—which Elizabeth was surprised to note was just as good as promised—they all gathered around the large table in the dining room. It was time for her to get to the reason that had brought her across the ocean. She decided not to mention her small tiff with Adele and get straight to the diaries.

"I was working on the list that Ella found in the cemetery, and I made a discovery that led me to these." She indicated the books in front of her. "The first three are diaries. They are Katerina's recordings of the months following Ella's birth."

Ella took the three thin notebooks with unsteady hands.

"I didn't know what I would find when I first came across these, but once I saw what it was, I decided that you should be the first to read it," Elizabeth explained. "The last notebook contains Richter's notes. They contain information that I believe is important for all of us to know." She handed the notebook to Daniel. "I was able to ascertain that it speaks about the Vampire Killer, but my Aramaic isn't as good as yours, so I think it is best if you could translate it for us."

Daniel nodded but didn't open the notebook as he could see that Elizabeth had one more item in front of her.

"The last item I found was a scroll with a prophecy."

Ella groaned. She had a bad feeling about this. Elizabeth's eyes were sad and troubled.

"I'll just read it aloud." Elizabeth looked around to see everyone nodding in agreement before she turned to the scroll, taking a deep breath. " _On the fourteenth day of the sixth month shall come a child to create and destroy, to be born and to die and to live once again. Conceived by two branches of the same tree, the child will be stronger than any other fruit. She will bear the hope for every living soul, and from her womb, a new bloodline will be born. Her spirit unbreakable, her soul old, she will be the one to bring light to the darkness of this world._ "

There was silence around the table for several long moments as each person in the room digested what they'd just heard.

"I'm guessing you think this prophecy speaks about me?" Ella finally asked. "Why? I wasn't born on June fourteenth. I was born in September. September thirteenth, to be exact."

"It is not the Gregorian calendar that this prophecy speaks of," Elizabeth said. "It's the Hebrew calendar."

"Hebrew?" Ella made a face. "Those guys have a calendar of their own?"

"Yes, they do," Daniel replied.

"What is your full date of birth?" Carlisle asked.

"September thirteenth, nineteen-eighty."

"The sixth month of the Hebrew calendar is Adar," Daniel said. "It's usually Elul or Tishrei that fall in September. The Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, so the months don't always correlate with the Gregorian calendar."

"Adar is the sixth month in the civil year, but it's the tenth in the ecclesiastical year," Carlisle corrected. "If you count the months that way, the sixth is Elul. I am not certain about the day, but the month seems to match."

"The day matches as well," Elizabeth said. "I checked this before I left. Ella was born on the exact day the prophecy says. Her parents, Katerina and Christopher, are both Belmonts."

"Of the same tree," Daniel murmured. "And you  _are_  stronger than any other Slayer on record."

"So? That means nothing," Ella insisted. "That weird date thing, it doesn't mention a year. It could be anyone, even someone who isn't born yet."

Elizabeth was shaking her head before Ella even finished. "You are the strongest of us all. There are very few Slayers left in the world, and none of them has a bloodline as pure as yours. It can't be anyone but you."

"It can't be me!" Ella cried, getting to her feet. "It's  _not_  me." With those words, she stormed away from the house, and everyone could hear the distinct sound of trees being smashed to pieces that soon followed.

"I was afraid of that," Elizabeth murmured. "I'm sorry." She looked at Carlisle and saw the hurt in his eyes. "I will go talk to her."

"Not yet." Jasper stopped her. "Let her calm down first."

Heeding his advice, Elizabeth returned to her seat.

"Daniel? Do you think we can start on the book?" Jasper asked. "I think I might be able to assist with the translation."

o.O.o

While the gang inside was busy with the book, Ella's rage soon dwindled. It was replaced with a deep hurt in her chest, and she knew the sensation by now. It was the pain of being apart from her soul mate. It was the agony of thinking about the possibility of losing Carlisle.

She hated prophecies. The tricky creatures told just enough to turn her world upside down but never enough to actually tell her what was going on. This one was no different. She wanted to ignore it. She wanted to erase the past thirty minutes from existence, to un-hear the words, but she couldn't.

She knew that ignoring the words would change nothing. Prophecies did not care whether you acknowledged them or not. They either happened or were prevented—usually by her.

Her shoulders slumping, she sat down on the riverbank and stared at the water. She had been carrying the world's fate on her shoulders for close to three years now, had lost people whom she loved, had gained a family and a soulmate. She'd faced evil and had destroyed it. She'd hurt and loved. But more than anything, she'd fought.

She'd  _fought_.

That was the only constant thing. But how could she fight now? How could she fight when she didn't want to? She had long since accepted that she loved someone who her very nature deemed as her enemy. She knew, with every fiber of her being, that Carlisle was her soul mate. As cynical as she was regarding prophecies, she believed he was destined for her. How could she abandon this belief now? How could she not, when there was a prophecy saying he wasn't the one for her?

She didn't turn when she heard footsteps behind her. The tread was heavy, and the wind carried the scent, allowing her recognition long before Elizabeth stopped next to her.

"May I sit?"

Ella nodded, not bothering with words. Her eyes were still fixed on the river. The water was clear enough for her to see the stony riverbed, the stones smooth from countless years of water erosion. As strong as a stone can be, even something as weak as water can wear it down. Ella always considered prophecies to be nothing more than a nuisance, a job, a task. She had always been stronger.

But was she strong enough now?

"I know that I can't possibly imagine how you feel right now, but would you allow me to give you a piece of advice?"

Ella shrugged.

Taking that as an affirmative reply, Elizabeth said, "The way I see it, there are three things that can happen right now. One, the prophecy isn't real, and nothing will change. Two, the prophecy is real, and Carlisle isn't the one you're destined to be with because he, as a vampire, can't be part of giving birth to a new bloodline. Three, the prophecy is real, but fate has more in store for both you and Carlisle. Either way, Ella," she placed her hand on Ella's rigid back, "you can't change the prophecy. What you can do is what you always do—follow your heart. You know better than any prophecy what your heart holds. Let fate take care of itself."

Ella looked up at Elizabeth then, her eyes nearly blinded by tears. "He is my soul mate, Elizabeth."

"Then screw the prophecy."

"Screw the prophecy," Ella repeated with a watery smile. Her head snapped to her right when she sensed Carlisle approaching.

"Go," Elizabeth said, having a pretty good guess—from Ella's expression—who was approaching them.

"Thank you," Ella said quietly. She gave Elizabeth a quick hug and jumped to her feet, sprinting and throwing herself into the arms of her soul mate once she reached him.

Carlisle held her with newfound desperation. He could hear her heart beating twice as fast and smell yet another minute change in her scent. She was changing before his very eyes—the accelerated heartbeat was yet another sign. The prophecy he had just heard meant that if this change was truly a result of a slow transformation, then he would have to talk to her about this sooner rather than later. If she was destined to give birth to children—something he knew she could never do as a vampire—then this process had to be stopped and reversed. He just hoped that it wasn't too late.

* * *

_Oh-oh, what's wrong with Ella? Not too smart on Carlisle's part to be keeping something like that from her, is it?_

_Chapter 29 will be here on Friday, September 28._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._

_P.S. - if you're a Buffy fan, the name of the chapter is familiar to you. It's take from E07S02 of Buffy._


	29. Family Ties

 

**Chapter Twenty-Nine – Family Ties**

Elizabeth sighed heavily, cuddling deeper into her warm covers. She refused to open her eyes just yet. If only she could sleep for just a little longer, pretend that reality had been suspended for just a few more hours... Wishful thinking had never done her much good, and as she opened her eyes to the brightly lit room, she decided that she wasn't about to start indulging herself in it now.

She could still remember the email that had brought her on board the first flight back to Germany. She hadn't intended to memorize her great-aunt's words, but they'd imprinted themselves in her memory nonetheless. They were the words that had set into motion the chain of event that had her lying in bed and trying to hide from the harsh world outside.

_My dearest Elizabeth,_

_I pray that your visit is going well, but I am afraid I have news of the foul kind to share. There has been a report from our man on the isle. I prefer not to discuss this in writing. Please come see me as soon as you return._

_Yours,_

_Adele._

Elizabeth had had no trouble reading between the lines. There had been a new report from London, and whatever it had said must have been very grim for Adele to summon her home.

Not two hours after reading that email, Elizabeth had her flight booked, her transportation arranged—Carlisle and Ella had volunteered to drive her—and her suitcase packed for the most part.

She had good memories from her last day in Forks. She'd spent the day with the girls, playing dress up, funnily enough. She had not done anything so silly—so fun, she had to admit to herself—in much too long. She wasn't a person who had fun often. When she was younger, there had been her studies to focus upon. Now, she had duties to herself, to her family, to the world around her. For as long as Elizabeth could remember, there had always been something that she needed to do.

She'd had fun that day, though. Oh, she'd made a face and even pouted when Alice and Ella teamed up against her, Carly being the not-so-silent accomplice, but she  _had_  enjoyed it.

Thinking back to that day, she felt some of her sadness retreat. She had girlfriends now. They had teased her, the way that only close friends could, but they cared for her as well.

They cared for her, Elizabeth reminded herself as grief crept once more into her heart. She couldn't help the rest of the memories from seeping into her mind now. She wanted to block them, but she couldn't.

To end the day on a high note, Carly had announced a movie night. Carlisle and Ella were in charge of making the popcorn while Carly and Elizabeth helped Alice and Jasper rearrange the furniture, spread blankets and pillows around the living room, and choose the movies that they would be watching.

In a silent agreement not to pair up and leave Elizabeth feeling like the fifth wheel, the girls all grouped up on the floor amongst the pillows. The movie was a mindless action film. Having seen it, though, both Carly and Ella kept a running commentary that had Elizabeth laughing so hard her sides were hurting.

When the first movie was over, Alice popped in the next one into the DVD, and this time, the men joined them on the carpet. Elizabeth didn't see much of the second movie; she'd been too busy looking at the people surrounding her.  _Couples—no, a family._

They were all tied together. Sisters, brothers, partners... With a smile on her lips, Elizabeth assumed that Daniel held the role of the reasonable, older uncle of the gang. Well, to Ella, at least. He was much younger than any of the vampires in the room, and Elizabeth doubted that Carly saw Daniel as a relative when she was kissing him.

She watched—both out of curiosity and out of concern—as the three couples interacted. Alice and Jasper were quiet in their affections. He sat with his legs bent in front of him, and she leaned her head on his knee. His hand was caressing her absentmindedly through her long, dark hair. They were both facing the screen, but their body-language told her that they were constantly aware of the other.

Carly and Daniel seemed more...hesitant, Elizabeth decided after a while. They sat next to each other, their knees and thighs touching. Carly was leaning toward Daniel, her hand placed behind him. Daniel mirrored her posture, their hands occasionally brushing against each other. They weren't yet in sync, Elizabeth observed, but they were building something.

Lastly, she glanced at the one couple she had worried about the most. Carlisle and Ella. The news she'd had to give them the night before had been hard. She herself didn't know what the prophecy would mean to any of them, but she was sure—as she had been when she had spoken to Ella on the riverbank—that those two were meant for each other. They were perfectly aligned, coordinated. They were more affectionate toward each other than either of the other couples, but they seemed to be more like Alice and Jasper than Carly and Daniel—at ease, in harmony.

Ella had fallen asleep, Elizabeth noted, but even in her sleep, there was a smile on Ella's lips. It was just a light curve of the side of her mouth but a smile nonetheless. Carlisle cradled her as she slept, and unlike Jasper—who had been paying at least some attention to the movie—Carlisle was completely focused on the woman he was holding.

When the movie ended, Carlisle lifted Ella effortlessly and bid everyone a silent goodnight. Elizabeth knew that he needed no sleep, but she also realized that she wouldn't be seeing him out of his bedroom before Ella awoke. He wouldn't want to leave her, even when she had to part with him to give her body the rest it needed.

Elizabeth wondered if this was a common occurrence or something that resulted from the new information they'd uncovered. She dared not ask—it was too personal—but as none of the others seemed to pay them much attention, she had to conclude that this wasn't a rarity. She was happy for them. Even as she felt a small tug in her chest at the reminder that she was alone, she was truly happy for them. They were strong, and they weren't going to let anything break them.

o.O.o

Elizabeth was surprisingly alert when she landed in Frankfurt on Monday morning. The flight had been very pleasant; she'd been upgraded to business class by the airline company and was able to catch some sleep as well as enjoy a reasonably good meal.

After a short stop at her apartment, Elizabeth drove to Adele's, worry building up inside her.

"Hello, Elizabeth. Please, come in." Adele stepped aside to let her pass. "Thank you for returning so swiftly. I'm sorry you had to cut your vacation short."

Elizabeth held back an eye roll at her great-aunt's pleasantries. "It was hardly a vacation, Aunt." She was immediately sorry for the sharp reply when she saw pain flash in the older woman's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so harsh."

"I understand your anger, and I am sorry for hurting you."

"And I'm sorry for hurting you." Elizabeth looked up at her great-aunt. "I overreacted. I shouldn't have left the way I did."

"You needed to inform Ella of the news." Adele gestured for them to go to the kitchen. "How is she doing?"

Elizabeth followed her great-aunt into the kitchen and sat down while Adele poured them tea. "Ella is well. She took the news of the prophecy as well as you might expect, but she's a fighter; she'll pull through."

Adele nodded. "She's so young, yet she has already had so much to deal with."

"Such is the life of a Belmont." Elizabeth waited until Adele sat down before she spoke again. "You said that there was a report from London."

"Yes. Mr. Lambert contacted me. There has been something akin to a hostile takeover there. He was unable to say much, but he said that he was certain the newcomers were not human."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I. He said that the building was sealed off—no one comes in, and no one goes out. Something is coming, Elizabeth, and I don't think this change bodes well to anyone with Belmont blood in his veins."

"Are you sure?"

Adele nodded.

Elizabeth noted that her great-aunt looked old, tired, and worried. She had seen Adele go through many changes and troubles before, but this was the first time she'd seen her react this badly. Things must be really bad.

"Our contacts in Canada, Brazil, and Australia report that since roughly a week ago, there's been zero communication with the Council. Not a single word."

"The Council hasn't been this quiet since...was it ever this quiet?"

"Not since these bastards took over and nearly destroyed the Belmont bloodline. It's been centuries."

"There's more," Elizabeth said, reading the grim expression on Adele's face.

"Yes, and none of it is good. I found another Slayer."

Elizabeth thought about that news for a moment. "Where?"

"Argentina. She was only fourteen, Elizabeth." Adele's voice broke. "It looks like it was a vampire attack, but every old bone in my body tells me that the Council had something to do with it."

Elizabeth covered Adele's hand with hers, offering comfort without words she knew would embarrass her great-aunt.

"We will have to tread very carefully in the near future, Elizabeth. You can't be too cautious. Use a disposable cell phone whenever you speak to Ella or anyone from the US; they don't need to draw the Council's attention right now."

"I agree. I will make sure to take extra precaution. What is our next move?"

"We wait, and we gather information. We can't do anything before we know what we're up against."

"I understand. Have you spoken with anyone else about this?"

"No. It's no secret that I see you as the next leader of this family, Elizabeth. I know Johann thinks it should be him, but you're far more suited to the position. As the next leader, you had to be the first to be informed."

Feeling the responsibility laying heavily on her shoulders, Elizabeth nodded in understanding. Adele had been grooming her to replace her as the head of the family ever since she was a child. "I will do my best, Aunt, but I'm not ready for you to pass the torch to me just yet."

"I know." Adele's eyes were sad. "I know."

 

o.O.o

Two days later, Elizabeth knew that whatever was going on was worse than what she had initially thought. There were more disappearances, more suspicious deaths, and more silence from the Council. She could point to at least two dead Watchers and one very brutal murder of a family who had the misfortune of carrying the Belmont name. They were not related by blood; it was no more than a coincidence. Her stomach turned every time she thought about the report she had read. She knew that tabloids loved the gory details, but this was a new low. Three young kids—all under the age of six—and two adults were killed, their bodies drained of blood and mutilated beyond recognition.

She found the articles that morning while she was doing her usual sweep of international news and checking for a response from her London contact. There had been no reply from Mr. Lambert, and she had a bad feeling about it. Praying that she was wrong, Elizabeth checked the latest headlines from the United Kingdom.

Her heart sank when she came across the small article about body parts found floating in the River Thames being recognized as belonging to forty-two year-old Timothy Lambert, a CPA in a small local firm. There were no suspects apprehended as of yet and very little leads to go on, and the articles implied that not all of the body had been recovered.

Elizabeth felt panic rise inside her like bile and forced herself to think rationally. Now was not the time to freak out, she told herself as she picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number of her great-aunt. Adele needed to hear this as soon as possible, and Elizabeth needed to consult with her regarding Mr. Lambert's replacement.

There was no answer.

Placing the phone back in its cradle, Elizabeth frowned. She picked it up again and this time called Adele's cell phone.

No answer again.

An uneasy feeling settled in her heart, but she told herself that she was being silly and returned to her work. She couldn't concentrate, though, and ten minutes later tried calling again.

No answer.

"I don't like this," she muttered. "I don't like this at all." She grabbed her keys and stormed out of her apartment.

 

o.O.o

Elizabeth's hands shook when she saw the blue lights. She prayed, even though she knew that it was much too late for that, and parked behind the police car. There was red and white tape everywhere, and several uniformed policemen were holding back the curious crowd that had gathered.

"Excuse me, Miss, you cannot pass through here," a policeman said as she neared the tape.

"My..." Her voice cracked. "My great-aunt lives in this building. I need to make sure she is all right."

Something flashed in the man's eyes. "What is her name?"

"Adelheid Almond," she said and gave him Adele's apartment number. Even before the man turned to call one of the suit-wearing officers, Elizabeth knew.

The next few hours were forever blurred to her. She couldn't remember what everyone around her said. She knew that there were questions asked, normal, routine questions. Did her great-aunt have any enemies? Did she keep large sums of money in her apartment? When was the last time they had spoken?

They told her it was a burglary, but she knew better. This was a safe neighborhood, a safe town. Murders in the middle of the day were an anomaly.  _Murders_  were an anomaly, period. More than that, too much had happened lately for Elizabeth not to suspect the Council's involvement.

But how did they know? How could they have found out?

For centuries, the Almonds were able to hide from the Council's radar. What could have happened to expose them? Were they traced back through Mr. Lambert? It was possible; unlikely, but possible.

When she stepped back into her own apartment late at night, her first phone call had been to the United States. They needed to be warned.

For the first time since meeting her, Elizabeth found herself envying Ella. Ella had someone to lean on when she received bad news, had someone to hold her, hug her, and murmur that everything will be okay.

She didn't have that kind of luxury. The person to whom she would go for comfort had been taken away from her. She'd told Adele only two days prior that she wasn't ready to take over, yet now she had no choice.

She had to be strong for her cousins, for she knew that Johann held little love for them. Both Martin and Lars were away at the boarding school their father had placed them in when they turned twelve, and they had not been notified yet. The police had been unable to reach her uncle so far, and Elizabeth suspected that she would be tasked with giving her two young cousins the news. She would take care of them, she promised herself. She would never be able to replace Adele for them, but she would do her best to give them what their father was incapable of.

 

o.O.o

Pulling back from her reminiscing, Elizabeth pushed the covers away. It was time for her to start the day. There was no more putting it off with memories. She still felt partially numb as she went about the rest of her morning routine. Routine was easy. It was mindless. She didn't have to think about what she had to do next because it was obvious; after brushing her teeth, she washed her face, got dressed, made herself tea, and sat down to have a light breakfast, tasting nothing.

It was then, when all the routines were over, that she found herself gnawing at her lip, wringing her hands, and pacing around her apartment. What was the next step? What was she to do now? She was the leader, yet she hadn't the faintest clue as to what that meant.

 _I was nurtured to be a leader_ , she tried to tell herself.  _I shouldn't be this nervous._

She nearly jumped right out of her skin when her phone rang. She answered mechanically and listened as the caller identified himself as the detective assigned to Adele's murder case. They were about to release the crime scene and wanted her to come to the apartment and sign a few forms.

She was there in less than twenty minutes, fifteen of which she'd spent on driving there. She signed the forms quickly and walked inside the apartment with a heavy heart. It was easier to focus on reason and logic than it was to dwell on her emotions, so she did just that and began systematically looking for the books and artifacts she knew Adele had kept there. If they had been taken, then that would be further proof that this was not an ordinary crime but a Council assassination.

Just as she feared, the shelves were empty of the important books. The large trunk under the bed was empty as well. The desk had been cleared. Everything was gone.

"Des darf doch net wahr sein," she kept murmuring as she went through every room, every crevice in the apartment.  _This can't be true_.

It was only when she was on the verge of complete panic that she remembered something and ran to the room that Adele had used as her office. She slid her hand along the underside of the desk and found the small wedge she knew would be there. Pulling on it, she could hear a distinct  _click_. She opened the second drawer on the right and reached beneath it. The now-free tray slid easily from under the drawer. There was a single envelope inside with Elizabeth's name on it.

_June 1, 1999_

_My dearest Elizabeth,_

_If you are reading this letter, then my worst fears have come to pass. We have been betrayed, and I was assassinated before I could warn you. I have suspected that things were amiss for a while now, so I have been making preparations. As the next leader of the Almond family, you now have a lot of new responsibilities. The first and foremost of which is keeping Ella safe. Trust no one but her and act swiftly._

_Follow the key in this envelope. You and Ella are the only ones who know the code. It was the only number that was safe to use. Anything else would have been compromised. Worry not about the missing books; everything is now safe and within your reach. Use your mind, Elizabeth._

_I wish that I could tell you just how proud I am of you. I realized that it was always meant to be you the day Ella told me you became the Keeper, and I believe in you. You are brave and smart, and you have so much more ahead of you. Lead this last trace of our family to victory, my Elizabeth, and do not waste tears on me; there is little time and much to do._

_With all my love,_

_Adele._

Elizabeth wiped the tears away and tightened her fist around the key. She placed the letter in the inner pocket of her jacket and closed the hidden tray, waiting to hear the  _click_  that indicated it was locked back into place.

She wanted nothing more than to mourn the loss of her great-aunt, but she understood that there was no time for her to fall apart. There would be time enough for that later, she decided, swallowing the lump in her throat. The first thing she needed to do right now was to figure out what Adele meant by  _follow the key_. Walking to the living room, Elizabeth opened her hand to examine the key. Before she could do more than glance at it, she heard footsteps outside the door and saw the handle turning. She quickly shoved her hand into her pocket, letting the key slide from between her fingers.

The door opened a second later to reveal Johann.

Elizabeth hadn't seen her uncle since before her departure to Seattle, but she was certain that she'd never seen him this nervous. He was clearly not expecting to find her in his mother's apartment, and it was also clear that he wasn't happy about it.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Elizabeth folded her arms across her chest. "The better question, Uncle, is what are  _you_  doing here? And for that matter, where were you yesterday? No one was able to reach you, and Lars and Marin didn't know where you went."

"I had some business to take care of." He waved his hand in dismissal. "Have you taken anything from here?"

"That is an odd question to ask a day after your mother has been murdered. Do you have no feelings at all?"

"That's none of your goddamn business!"

"No, I see that you're perfectly okay with fury." She was calm, knowing that would irritate him even more. "You didn't care about her at all, I see. So now I have to ask, why are you here?"

"Bitch! Don't you dare talk to me with such disrespect!" He raised his hand to strike her, but she blocked him.

"Do not raise your hand or your voice at me, Uncle." Anger rose inside her, matching his, and her eyes flickered silver.

He panicked and jumped back, mumbling something unintelligible. A moment later, he pulled himself together. "With Adele gone, I am the leader of this family. You have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do."

"Wrong again." Elizabeth felt smugness seep into her voice when she saw fury form again on his face. "Adele named  _me_  the leader, and you know that well."

It was true, even if he continued to deny it. "I should be the head of the family, and you know it, Beth."

She never knew how much she hated that particular nickname until she heard her uncle use it. "I have things to do," she said, ignoring him. "I will see you at the funeral."

It was only later, when she was already in her car and driving away, that she remembered something. Johann wasn't supposed to have a key to Adele's apartment. It seemed significant, and it took her the fifteen minute drive to her apartment before things clicked into place.

"Elizabeth, is everything okay?" Carly answered after the first ring.

"I'm..." Elizabeth passed a hand through her short hair and cursed when she noticed the time. "God, I'm sorry, Carly. I didn't think about the time difference." It was almost two in the morning in Forks. "I'm okay. There's been nothing new."

"That's good to hear. You had me worried for a moment. Don't worry about the time. We weren't going to sleep just yet. What's up?" Carly paused. "I assume that there's something up, or you wouldn't have called this late."

"I'm...I'm not sure yet. Listen, Carly...I need your help. Are you next to a computer?"

"Sure, one second." There was some rustling and then Carly spoke again. "Okay, I have my trustworthy lappy here. What do you need?"

"I need to know the comings and goings of Johann Ernst Almond in the past...say, three months? Can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing. Flights, credit card records, call records, right?"

"Yes, exactly." Elizabeth continued to pass on to Carly Johann's social security number and any other information about him she had in her possession.

"This isn't much to go by, but I'll give it my best shot," Carly promised. "What is this about?"

"I don't have all the answers yet myself."

"Okay, then I'll start digging and call you at—what time is it now over there?"

"Eleven. Look, I can wait till tomorrow," she added quickly. "You should get some sleep."

"No, no, it's okay. Don't be silly. Look, I'll call you as soon as I have the info. If I don't find anything by...say, an hour from now, I'll call you with an update. Sound good?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. I'll talk to you soon."

Elizabeth leaned back and closed her eyes. While she was certain that there were some details she could have found out on her own, she knew that her computer skills paled in comparison to Carly's. Carly would pull through, Elizabeth was sure of it. She didn't want to tell anyone of her suspicion just yet. She didn't know what she was hoping for, and she didn't know what she would do in either case.

Instead of letting her mind continue circling around, Elizabeth told herself to pull it together. First thing on her agenda was to check out the house in the Neuzenlache.

 

o.O.o

More a mansion than a house, the Almond Manor stood at the end of a private driveway and was surrounded by a tall fence with a large iron gate. Elizabeth had only been to this house once or twice in her childhood. It had not been in use ever since her grandmother passed away when Elizabeth was six. Her grandfather had passed away years before her grandmother, and with Elinor Almond, the matriarch of the Almond family, gone as well, the house stood empty. No one needed so much room, Elizabeth thought, and no one wanted to be so far from the city, but that was the very thing that was needed right now.

She used the key Adele had left for her to open the heavy gate. The hinges creaked as she pushed it open, and Elizabeth made a mental note to have it fixed. She drove to the house, noting that the gardens would need care as well. They were overgrowing with weeds. It was only to be expected, she told herself, but she was saddened by the sight nonetheless. The house she remembered from her childhood was grand, awe-inspiring. Now, though, as she looked at the grey stone of the building and the overgrown shrubbery, she thought that it looked lonely, cold,  _abandoned_.

 _Not unlike how I am feeling at the moment_ , she mused.

Approaching the front door, she realized that the key she held in her hand would not unlock it; it was the wrong shape. She tried anyway and wasn't surprised when the key didn't even slide into the keyhole.

"The code," she murmured under her breath, thinking aloud. "She said that only Ella and I know the code. Of course!"

She rushed to the side of the house, and sure enough, there was a numbered panel next to the garage. It looked new and modern, a stark contrast to its background, and she knew that Adele had had this installed recently.

 _Now, what is the code?_  she asked herself, placing one finger under her chin.  _Something that only Ella and I would know..._

There wasn't much that was shared only between the two, and Elizabeth couldn't think of a single number to be found in such a small sample of data.  _If the sample is too small...change the sample._ She began to pace as she ran through her mind who else Adele could have trusted enough to use a code they might know.

 _Definitely not the family,_  she surmised quickly. That ruled out enough people to give her a small sample again: the Cullens, Carly and Daniel, and Ella.

When she found the answer, she felt almost stupid for not having thought of it herself. It was the only number none of the Almonds but Adele and Elizabeth themselves would know. The former knew because she had seen it years ago, and the latter knew because she'd discovered it only a few days ago. The information would not have had time to be stolen and reported to the Council.

"The fourteenth day of the sixth month," she recited as she punched in the numbers one, four, zero, and six. She took a chance on using two digits for the month, but she knew that Adele would use the European format for the date, where the day came first and the month second, not the American.

There was a short  _beep_  from the panel before a green light flashed on top. Looking expectantly at the garage door, Elizabeth frowned when it didn't budge. Had she missed anything? She turned to look at the panel again. The green light was still on.

Could she have missed something?

She moved her hands around the box, deciding to feel for a hidden button, an extra panel, something. One side was empty, but when she pressed her fingers to the other side, the panel opened.

"I'm really slow today!" She cursed her own stupidity even as she reached inside the paneled box and took out a set of keys and the folded paper behind it.

_Dear child,_

_Use these wisely._

There was no signature, but she recognized the handwriting.  _I will do my best,_ she promised silently as she walked to the front door again and slid the key into the lock.

 

o.O.o

Elizabeth was relieved to see that all of the books that she'd been used to seeing in Adele's apartment had been moved to Almond Manor. There were even more books here, though, older books that must have been collected by her ancestors. She could spend days, weeks, in the library, but she eventually tore herself away from it and went to inspect the rest of the house. It was in surprisingly good condition. The rooms had been aired recently, the floors swept, the furniture polished.

There was a sad smile on her lips when she realized that Adele had been preparing for this for a while. Adele had known that this house would be needed. Going down the stairs, Elizabeth passed through the ballroom on the first floor and continued to inspect the basement. Just like the rest of the rooms in the house, it was clean and in good condition.

Her cell phone rang as she was walking out of the house.

"Hello?"

"Elizabeth? It's Carly. I've found the information you asked of me."

"That's great. Could you send it to my email?"

"Already did. Are you next to your computer?"

"No, I'm out. Could you give me a quick summary?"

"Sure," Carly said and went over the information Elizabeth had asked her to retrieve. When she was finished, there was nothing but silence for several long moments. "Elizabeth, after so much time with Ella, I know when it's best not to ask questions. I won't pry, but I know something bad is going on, and I think that you should talk to us—at least to Ella—about this."

"I will, Carly," she promised. "I just need to...sort things out first. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"I won't, I promise. Carly, remember when I suggested that you guys move to Europe after your graduation?"

"Yes, what of it? We still haven't decided on any—"

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to tell you that there's a place we could all move into. It's called Almond Manor. The house has been owned by my family for generations. It has plenty of room, and I think it would work excellently as headquarters for us."

Carly laughed. "Now you sound like a realtor. I'll let Ella know. I have to say that I like the idea of living together in a large space. We've been up each other's asses for the most part of the past month. Kind of gotten used to everyone by now, but I'd love a little more room."

"Well, talk to them and let me know what you think. No pressure."

"Yeah, it's not like there's an evil Council with god-knows-what leading it that's been killing anyone suspected of being related to the Belmonts lately or anything like that."

Elizabeth was able to produce a chuckle as she agreed, reminded them again to be careful, and ended the call. Inside, however, she was a wreck. She had suspected as much, so why was she so shaken now that her suspicions had been proven to be correct? There was time to ask questions, and there was time to act. It was long past due for acting, she thought.

"Only question is...am I ready to step up and be a true leader? Am I ready to make the right decision for this family?" she asked herself out loud and released a long breath.

She looked up at the bright sky. She called herself silly over this, but she could swear she felt Adele watching over her. Adele had believed in her, believed that she could be the leader the family needed.

_I'm ready._

* * *

_Any guesses on what Elizabeth might be thinking of?_

_Chapter 30 will be here on Friday, October 5th._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	30. Army

**  
Chapter Thirty – Army**

_London_

Mr. Lambert had a bad feeling about the last day of his life since the moment he got out of bed in the morning. He was deep in thought as he tried to clean the spilled coffee on his desk. He’d cut himself shaving that morning, nearly missed his train due to his landlord catching him on the way out to remind him that rent was due, spilled a cup of coffee on his pristine white shirt, and now the second cup he’d made himself was knocked over and had nearly destroyed everything he’d worked on for the past six months.

He had just finished salvaging what he could of his documents when the doors suddenly burst open. Four hooded characters entered the hall.

“Excuse me,” the receptionist called form her seat, jumping to her feet when the four simply continued walking. “Excuse me! You can’t just walk in—”

One of the characters, a woman with caramel hair and shockingly red lips, grabbed the girl by her throat and casually tossed her with a light flick of the wrist to two of the hooded figures behind her.

Mr. Lambert crouched behind his desk, swallowing back bile as he watched helplessly as the receptionist was quickly silenced permanently. He did not dare rise when the four characters crossed the hall and barged into the inner office. He cringed as he heard screaming and furniture breaking, which lasted for several long minutes before everything went eerily silent.

He waited ten more minutes, just to make sure that no one was coming out to deal with him as well, before he crawled out from under his desk and made a run for the door. He couldn’t call the police. These intruders were not human, so calling the cops would only get more people killed. He needed to report this, however. And even with as little information as he had, this wasn’t something that could wait.

He hoped that the intruders would be too busy to notice him gone; just in case, he stuck to the busy streets, finding some safety in the people and noise around him. He stopped at the first internet café he could find and made his way to one of the computers. It took another fifteen long minutes to log into his secure account and send the message. During those fifteen minutes, he jumped every time the door opened, fearing that he would see one of the cloaked murderers.

He went back to his apartment and changed into a fresh shirt. He had to go back to the office, he decided; he had to learn as much as he could about these intruders. He owed it to his family.

On the way back, he bought himself a sandwich he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat and a cup of fresh coffee. The door had been fixed, and the receptionist’s body had been removed, he noted to himself as he walked into the building. There was still a sense of eerie silence, but he tried his best to pretend that he didn’t notice it.

Leaving the sandwich on his desk, he pretended to return to his work, shifting some documents around his table, and listened. This was no random attack; this was intentional. Someone wanted something that the Watchers’ Council had, and that someone wasn’t going to simply ask nicely.

Mr. Lambert nearly jumped out of his own skin when the inner door opened to reveal the current head of the Council, a man only known as Mr. Black, standing in the doorway.

“Oh, it’s good to see that not everyone is as useless as the receptionist,” the man said. “I need this information,” he threw a file onto Mr. Lambert’s desk, “and I need it yesterday.”

“Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Black.” Mr. Lambert tried not to let his hands shake as he reached for the file. “Right away, sir.”

“Good.” Mr. Black turned to leave. He paused before the door. “Oh, and call the agency. I need a new secretary.”

Mr. Lambert didn’t need to ask what happened to the last one. He knew that she hadn’t quit. She couldn’t have fared better than the receptionist.

Opening the file and reading the instructions inside, he felt fear and dread coming over him again. He couldn’t give Mr. Black this information. He wouldn’t. He would have to run.

Taking the risk, he logged into his secure email account through his work computer and emailed one last note to his contact. At least he would warn them.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” a voice asked from behind him. “Sending information outside? We can’t have that, now, can we?”

The creature grabbed him by his throat, lifted him in the air, and used his other hand to smash the screen. Some distant part of his mind noted that this wasn’t very effective, but he was not about to point that out.

When the creature turned its piercing red eyes to him, Mr. Lambert prayed for the first time in his life. He was staring into the face of the devil himself.

o.O.o

Adrian sat on the heavy leather armchair in the office of the now-deceased Mr. Black and examined Mr. Lambert. The small clerk that he had caught attempting to send information out was unconscious at the moment—his body had shut down due to the pain—so Adrian had a few minutes to admire his own handy work.

He had missed a good session of torture, he thought. Humans were somewhat disappointing, lacking stamina to make it a really satisfying session, but they were better than nothing. He smiled when he sensed the pathetic human coming to.

“Welcome back, Mr. Lambert.” Adrian rose to his feet.

Mr. Lambert’s mind was clouded with pain, but even in his condition, he was able to note the predatory grace with which his tormentor moved.

“I have a few more questions for you, Mr. Lambert.” Adrian brought the small dagger he had in his hand up for the human to see.

“I—”

“Shh... There’s no fun in you answering my questions right away.” Adrian took a step back and drew a lighter from his pocket. He used it to light a candle that sat on the desk. “I’ve been told that germs can kill you, and we wouldn’t want you to die too soon. I’ll have to make sure this blade is sterile before I start carving my art into your body.”

Mr. Lambert whimpered. It was all he could do as the fear spread through him. His eyes were glued to the knife. The long blade cut the flame in the middle. It could have been a beautiful sight, he thought, had he not been aware that he was going to feel every burning inch of that blade very soon.

Adrian tore what was left of the human’s shirt—the formerly white fabric was tattered and stained with blood—and exposed his chest. There were dark bruises forming there already. They would make a nice background to his canvas, Adrian decided, and he pressed the blade over what he was certain was a broken rib.

The human moaned in pain, rattling the chains into which he had been strapped.

It was such a handy thing to have in one’s office, Adrian thought as he heated the blade. When he brought it to the human’s chest again, the human tried to jerk back.

Mr. Lambert thought that he had never seen a grin colder than the one he received right then from the demon that was tormenting him. The burning pain as the knife was pressed against his bruised ribs for the second time brought a scream of agony to his lips. His throat was sore from screaming. It was useless and made the demon happy, but he couldn’t hold back any longer. He could smell his own flesh burning as the knife was pressed against him over and over again and felt bile rise in his throat.

“You look a bit green, Mr. Lambert,” Adrian commented in a very friendly tone. Anyone hearing him might have thought he was sincerely worried about a friend or a colleague. “I suppose the smell of your own flesh burning isn’t very pleasant to your pathetic human senses, is it?”

He did not get a reply, not that he was expecting one.

“Now, let us get to the questions.” He placed the knife on the desk and grabbed the candle. “What is the name of your contact?”

He received an unintelligible gurgle in response.

“Your eyes are a little bit unfocused. I guess you’re not completely with us, Mr. Lambert.” Adrian let the wax drip on the human’s skin, making him jerk. “Now that I have your attention again...tell me the name of your contact.”

“B—Bu...”

Adrian came closer and found himself slightly tempted by the human’s blood. It smelled much better than the arrogant Mr. Black he’d feasted upon earlier. “Yes?”

“Bugger...off.” Mr. Lambert was even able to spit in the demon’s face before the blow to his right temple sent him into oblivion again.

“Losing your temper already?” Esme asked from the doorway.

“A minor setback.” Adrian turned to her, his annoyance clear in his stare. “How are we on the information search?”

She grinned and produced a folder from behind her back. “It’s right here.”

“I guess we won’t be needing you anymore, then,” Adrian said to the unconscious human. “Well, you wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway.” Deciding that he was not quite finished with the human, he turned away and took the file from Esme.

“Oh, Adrian?” she purred, breathing into his ear as he read over the file. “I’m bored...”

He did not deign to acknowledge her as he looked over the file. The information inside was partial, but it was a good start. He was going to build an army that even the almighty Slayer and her bunch of do-gooders couldn’t beat.

“Adrian!” She pouted when he ignored her again. Her temper rising, she tore the file from his hands. “You _will_ answer when your Mistress is calling you.”

He growled, beyond irritated. This act had gone on long enough, he thought. His features shifted, the canines in his mouth elongating. He grabbed her by her throat and threw her against the floorboards. Pressing one knee against her stomach, he tightened his hold. “Let’s get one thing straight, _Esme_. You are going to start showing me some respect.” He shredded her black dress, leaving her body bare before him. The sight of her naked flesh no longer affected him. Now that he could remember seeing bodies more beautiful, suppler, and much more tempting, she was nothing more than the common whore he’d used and fed upon.

Esme felt her fear and pain mixing with desire. She had never been so turned on before. This beautiful male was so strong above her. His body was so hard and perfect. She would forgive him for this misstep, she decided. He would be punished, of course, but she would forgive him. It was the stress of the last few days that had gotten to him.

Adrian saw the desire in her eyes and decided to use it against her as she had used his against him long ago. Completely detached, he palmed her, touching her the way he knew she liked. When he shoved two gloved fingers into her, he heard her scream.

“Remember this feeling, Esme,” he whispered next to her ear. “I can grant you pleasure, and I can cause you pain.” He bit down on her shoulder and smiled around the bite as she cried out in pain. Spitting out the taste of her venom, he released her. “Now leave me be. I have things I need to finish. Tell those two idiots of yours to get ready to depart in three hours.”

He didn’t even bother looking at her furious expression, nor did he see the glint of passion and admiration in her eyes as he simply dismissed her.

“Now, Mr. Lambert, let’s get back to our little chat.”

It took a bucket of water and a few more minutes to bring Mr. Lambert back to consciousness, and Adrian was feeling his own temper and impatience threatening to take over.

“You look a little worse for wear, Mr. Lambert,” Adrian said in a friendly tone. “I think I might have been a little too rough on you. So, being the considerate warden that I am, I decided that we would focus on your lower extremities now.”

Mr. Lambert made nothing more than a whimpering sound when the rest of his clothes were stripped off him and a jolt of pain was sent through his already beaten and bruised body. He could hardly tell where the pain was coming from now, his right leg or his left, his knees or his ankles. He only knew that he could feel bones breaking under the hold of the monster. He never remembered giving away everything he had been asked.

“Look at what you’ve done,” Adrian said to the corpse that was now bleeding the last pints of its blood to the plush white carpet. The pile of flesh that used to be the man’s guts lay at the body’s feet. The human didn’t last long after Adrian had removed those, but the expression on his face was worth it in Adrain’s mind. “This is going to leave a really ugly stain. Oh, well, it’s not like I will be using this office again.”

o.O.o

_Galway, Ireland_

Clair Wilson said goodbye to her friends outside the movie theater and turned to walk back home. She had treated herself to a movie after weeks of studying hard and training. Always training, she thought with a sigh. Her Watcher was much too uptight in her mind. She hadn’t seen a single vampire in weeks! She could afford the time off. So she told him that she was going to do a round of patrolling in the usual vampire hangouts, made sure to take a good supply of stakes, and then slipped back in after he was fully engrossed in his old book. She changed, left the weapons, and used the window to sneak out.

She left him a note, of course, but she was certain that he would fall asleep reading, just like he did every night. The movie was nice, she thought, and she really missed hanging out with her friends. This whole Slayer thing had put a serious damper on her social life. Well, if she could fight evil vampires and win, she could get her social status back as well.

Optimistic, her mind swirling with ideas, Clair didn’t notice the vampire following her. She didn’t feel the tingle in the back of her mind warning her that she was being followed. She didn’t even have time to scream—or fight back—when her body was slammed against the wall and sharp pain spread throughout her body, originating in her neck.

As her life was rapidly being drained from her, she had only one wish. _Please, Lord, don’t let me be turned into a soulless demon._

o.O.o

_Outside Yekaterinburg, Russia_

Iskra Dolina knew that she was being followed. Her nerves had been on edge for several days now, waiting for the sign of the monster’s return. She was tired, hungry, and cold, but she did not dare stop moving. Three days ago—or was it four?—she’d returned to find her Watcher missing. The scent of vampire was all over his small cottage, so she’d set out to find him. And find him, she did. _All twenty-four parts of him_.

She stopped herself from recalling the exact sight so that she wouldn’t throw up again. She had to keep moving. She had to keep running. Whatever had killed her Watcher had returned for her on the very same day, and she had only narrowly made her escape. She’d tried fighting the monster, but she was too weak for it. So she had run.

Iskra cursed herself for running, but she still ran. If she could draw the monster away from her village, away from her people, maybe she could save them. She knew that there was no hope for her. She was the One. She was supposed to fight evil, and if she wasn’t strong enough to stop this demon, nobody was.

The only hope she had was to—somehow, someway—run long enough to reach London. She knew that the Watcher’s Council was there. They had to be able to help her. It was her only hope, and she held on to that hope as strongly as she could as her body slowly began betraying her.

She hadn’t slept in days, too afraid to stop or close her eyes because she knew that evil did not rest. She could see the city lights now and allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She almost made it to Yekaterinburg, where she could buy a train ticket to Moscow. She needed to last just a little longer.

The tingle in her body appeared as if out of nowhere, and she had barely enough time to turn and pose herself for a fight when the first blow came. She heard the sickening sound of her bones shattering before the pain nearly blinded her. Even at her best, she was no match for the white-haired vampire. In her weakened state, she lasted no more than a few blows.

She felt his teeth tear into her neck and tried to reach for the dagger she had hidden in her jacket’s pocket. The consequences of her, a Slayer, being turned were monumental. She couldn’t allow him to do that, but it was too late; she was too weak.

Even as her fingers curled around the knife, Adrian broke every bone in the hand that held it and began pumping venom into the Slayer’s body.

o.O.o

_Lima, Peru_

The shaman of the village had warned her, Consuela thought as she watched the stranger sneaking into town under the cover of darkness. His white hair and pale skin glimmered in the moonlight, but it wasn’t his appearance or the smell of death around him that had told her he was evil, nor was it the chills down her back whenever she thought he’d noticed her. No, it was the primal instinct of the Slayer that had her nervous system screaming danger.

She had seen him feed once already, but she was too late to save the human. She tried to fight the vampire, but he was too strong. She made her escape and went to the shaman. The old man’s words tore at her heart; this creature would bring death to the entire village and suffering to Consuela’s soul.

Refusing to let the words sway her, Consuela prepared herself. She bathed in the holy pool at the feet of the high mountains and prayed for strength from the gods of her tribe. She was the protector of this world from things such as the white-haired creature, so she gathered her courage, her strength, and her faith as she prepared to take him on.

She said goodbye to the shaman, who had faithfully trained her since she had been called as a Slayer, and began her journey to trace the vampire and bring him down. She followed his trail of death for miles, days, until she finally found him on the outskirts of Lima. Arming her crossbow, she prepared to shoot a deadly arrow straight through his heart.

“Hasta luego, hijo de puta,” she murmured as she squeezed the trigger. _So long, son of a bitch._

The arrow flew from her crossbow a moment before the weapon—along with the hand holding it—was smashed by a distinctively feminine figure.

The black hair swirled around the woman’s face as she offered a bloody grin to the Slayer. “You _will_ serve the Master.”

She understood the words and made a move to kick the red-eyed creature before her when a delicate hand wrapped around her throat, halting her movement and cutting off her air supply.

“Now, now, Clair,” said a male voice. “Don’t break your new sister before she is reborn.”

 _Reborn._ That word made her blood run cold. She struggled with all her might against the hold, trying to kick whoever was holding her.

A pale face appeared in front of her as she began to lose consciousness. “I am going to make you so much stronger.”

She screamed, “No!” even as three mouths latched on to her body, one at each wrist and one at her neck. _Kill me,_ she begged in her mind. Even though she knew her wish would never be granted, she repeated the words like a mantra. _Kill me. Kill me. Kill me._

o.O.o

_Cairo, Egypt_

Amana Sa’her followed her brother Hameed dutifully through the crowds of the market. She was memorizing the list of groceries her mother had handed her that morning. Her brother would handle the money and carry the heavy things for her, but Amana was the one her mother trusted to know which tomatoes were ripe, which fish were fresh, and how to pick the best herbs and spices.

Usually, it was her mother who would do the shopping, accompanied by one of Amana’s uncles. Ever since Amana was old enough to reach her mother’s waist, she had been taken along. A woman was never too young to learn how to run a proper household, her mother had said to her.

Her mother was pregnant again, though, and with the baby making her very sick, Amana was sent alone with her brother. They had just come out of the spice shop when Amana felt an odd tingle go down her spine. It was an unpleasant sensation, one that made her palms sweat and her heart race in her chest.

She saw a glimpse of white among the crowd and turned to look for her brother. Strangers in the streets of Cairo were not rare, but seeing them flash in and out of the crowd of the local market was unsettling.

“Hameed,” she called her brother, suddenly realizing that she’d lost him in the sea of people. “Aina ana’at?” _Where are you?_

It had happened before. The market was crowded, and they always set a point to meet each other in case they got separated, but this time it felt different.

“Hameed!” she yelled, hoping he would hear her over the noise.

Suddenly, Amana was airborne; the market, with its smells, noises, and people, was disappearing before her very eyes as someone carried her away. She screamed and struggled, but it was of no use.

The man holding her laughed, and there were more chills running down her spine.

“You’re a little firecracker, aren’t you?”

She did not understand the words, barely recognized that the language the man was speaking English. She had only attended a few years of school, but she sometimes heard the language on the TV when her father watched the news.

Amana doubled her efforts to break free, trying to claw and bite and kick, when she saw that he had already taken her so far from the city that she no longer saw houses. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears as panic and adrenaline mixed in her body. He was going to kill her, she realized. She tried not to think about what he might do to her before he got around to ending her life.

She’d heard stories from her brother and his friends, terrible tales of what happened to girls who were carried away by strangers into the desert and that what was later found of them couldn’t be shown to their mothers.

When her kidnapper threw her into a cave, she screamed as hard as she could, scrambling to her feet and pressing her back against the wall. She would fight him, she promised herself, even as tears streaked from her eyes.

“Crying?” The man looked at her with something akin to confusion. “Well, that’s a first. Never thought I’d see a Slayer cry, but then again, you _are_ younger than most. And you don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you?”

The smile that appeared on the stranger’s face was warm, kind, and Amana felt confused. Was it all a mistake? Was he not going to hurt her? She looked at his outstretched hand and tried to decide if it would be smart to take it. He continued to speak, but his voice was soothing now. Even if she didn’t understand the words, his tone was soft. Could she trust him?

No, she decided when she saw his eyes. They were black, cold, and told of death and pain. Those were not the eyes of a friendly person, and he _had_ kidnapped her. Whatever he wanted to do, it could not be good. She pressed herself further into the wall when he made a step toward her.

“The smell of fear coming from you is almost as intoxicating a scent as your blood,” he said, still smiling. “Although...I do think that you are worrying about the wrong thing. I guess those idiots in the Council really didn’t get a chance to get to you just yet, did they? Oh, well, now they are dead, and _I_ have found you.”

“Min ana’at? Limatha ta'ahuzuli min a'ilatai?” she asked. _Who are you? Why did you take me away from my family?_

He understood, of course, but he had no desire to answer her. He had three other Slayers waiting for him back in Belgium, training with Esme’s thugs. Those two didn’t have much in the thinking department but were excellent in their fighting skills. That combination made them great minions in Adrian’s mind, which was the only reason he hadn’t gotten rid of them yet.

In a quick move, he tore away her Hijab—the white fabric that covered her hair and neck—and bit into her throat. Her small hands continued to pound at him, but she weakened quickly. Just as her heart was about to give in, Adrian let go, satisfied with the amount of venom he’d gotten into her, and dropped the small body to the floor.

“Now, we wait for you to wake up, little Slayer.”

o.O.o

_Viernheim, Germany_

Johann Almond was suffering from nightmares again. He could hardly remember the last time he’d had a good night’s sleep. After a glance at the clock told him that it was shortly after three in the morning, he decided to give up getting back to sleep in favor of some tea and toast.

Exhausted, he dragged himself from his room to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. He didn’t bother shaving. There was no one he was expecting that day, and he was definitely not coherent enough to handle blades so close to his neck.

He hit the light switch as he walked into the kitchen, flooding the room with a sickly yellow light. He hated the apartment, hated everything about this town he was forced to live in. Not for long, though. Soon, he would have all the freedom he wanted. All he had to do was take care of one final detail. It was unfortunate that this one final detail was a pesky relative, but he’d gotten rid of one relative already—albeit indirectly—and thought that another one shouldn’t prove to be too hard. He just needed to catch her in the right place and make the call. Mr. Grey promised him a significant amount of money if he could bring down the last living Almond female, and if that led to the finding of the strongest Slayer the Council had ever heard of... Johann felt himself salivating at the thought of how much he would get for that piece of information.

He prepared his tea in automatic movements, adding three teaspoons of sugar to the cup before pouring the water in. He was about to drink it when he remembered that he hadn’t taken his medication that day. He walked back to the bathroom and took out the pillbox from the medicine cabinet. Frowning at the amount, just as he did every morning, he took the pills to the kitchen. He hated taking pills, hated swallowing them, so he’d taken to crushing them and adding them to his tea. The taste was a bit bitter, but that was why he always added so much sugar to the cup.

He added the crushed white powder to the tea and mixed it. After taking a careful sip to make sure that the tea wasn’t too hot, he drank the rest in several gulps. Shuddering at the bitterness, he made himself another cup.

“Bloody pills,” he grumbled to himself as he drank another cup of much-too-sweet tea. The taste was still slightly bitter, making him scowl. “Nothing good ever came out of you, Mother.” His heart condition—and the reason he was taking so many pills at such a young age—was hereditary.

He began making himself some early breakfast and a third cup of tea—he could still feel the bitterness on his tongue—all the while continuing to curse the woman who had brought him into the world only to burden him with a bad heart.

Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and things began to swim before his eyes. He searched, almost blindly, for the kitchen table and the chairs around it, slumping into one.

The room became much too bright for him, shapes blurring, and he felt his heart beating much too fast.

“Good morning, Johann,” Elizabeth said, walking into the room.

He grunted, blinking several times as he tried to force her image into focus.

“I would imagine you can’t see me very well by now. Good.”

He thought that there was something wrong with her voice. He’d never heard it sound so cold before. Almost never, he corrected himself when he thought about how he had seen her in his mother’s apartment. He felt sick now. The toast he had been able to nibble on was rising back in his throat. The blood pounded in his ears. Something was wrong with him.

“Help,” he croaked.

“I _am_ helping,” she replied. “I am saving this family. I am saving my friends. And it’s quite possible that I am saving your sons from death.”

She sat across from him calmly, watching him as sweat burst on his forehead.

“You will soon start going into cardiac arrest,” she informed him, “and I really do need you to listen to me before that happens. You are going to die. I wish there was a more painful way to do this—you deserve every bit of pain imaginable for what you did—but, alas, I have to settle for this.”

“Bitch,” he muttered, his fingers digging into the tablecloth in an attempt to keep himself upright. “What did you do to me?”

“I arranged your suicide.” She smiled a cold smile that had never been there before she’d learned of his betrayal. “You are a heartless bastard. It is only fitting that you will die because your heart failed you. You sold us out to the Council.”

His eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t focus his vision, but he had no problem hearing the words coming from her. How did she know? How had she found out?

“And for what—a few million dollars? Is that what Adele’s life was worth? I guess to you, it was. I want you to know that that money has already been transferred from your account into a trust fund for Martin and Lars.”

He tried to reach for her, tried to claw his way to her, but his body wouldn’t let him. He fell onto the floor instead.

Elizabeth looked down at him. “I found out about the travels to London, about the phone calls, about the money, about how you have been warned to stay away from Germany while the Council _murdered your own mother!_ ” She rose to her feet and went to the counter. With gloves on her hands, she took out a plastic bag from her pocket and removed an empty bottle of pills from it. She opened the bottle and placed both it and its lid on the counter.

Johann’s vision clouded even more, his heart beating irregularly in his chest, sending painful jolts throughout his body.

“You gave them information that led to the death of countless people. You are a murderer. As the leader of the Almond family, I sentence you, Johann Ernst Almond, to death.”

A moment later, his body stilled.

She worked quickly then, spilling the contents of the sugar container into the plastic bag that had held the bottle. Opening one of the cupboards, she found an opened bag of sugar and used it to refill the container halfway.

She reached to turn off the light and stopped herself; a dead man wouldn’t be worried about the environment. She let herself out the same way she’d come in, using the spare key he’d given her long ago.

Her footsteps made no sound as she exited the building and disappeared into the dwindling night.

She would tell the police that her uncle had called her late at night—they would find a call being placed to her cellular phone—and that he sounded distraught. She would say that the call lasted no more than a few moments before he’d hung up and that she’d debated with herself if she should go over. After hardly sleeping, she would tell them, she drove to his apartment to check up on him. Then she would play it by ear. If she was the one to discover the body, she would call the police herself. If the body was already discovered before she got there, then she would arrive on the scene only to reach the terrible realization that she couldn’t stop her uncle’s death. In contrast to what she’d told him, she didn’t know if his death would indeed be ruled suicide or simply an accidental overdose of his heart medication. Then again, she didn’t really care.

_Rest in peace, Adele. Justice has been served. He won’t be killing any more people._

* * *

_It's always the quiet ones..._

_Chapter 31 will be here on Friday, October 12th._

_Thank you for reading,_

_Alley Cat._


	31. Graduation

**Chapter Thirty-One - Graduation**

Once Carlisle and Ella returned to Forks from dropping Elizabeth off at the airport, they all sat down to read the translated writings of Richter Belmont. It was written in Richter's succinct style, giving all of the information in short notes.

 _The color in which the gems glow is affected by the person from whom it is drawing energy,_ the notes explained, _yellow for the keepers, red for its master's soul._

"So when it glowed orange in the labyrinth, it must have been because it was drawing energy from both Ella and me," Carly said.

"Yes," Jasper replied. "According to what Richter wrote, that's probably the reason."

"It doesn't explain why she had the freaky silver eyes, though," Ella commented.

Daniel was surprised. He didn't think she'd noticed that little detail, as focused as she was on the giant demon she'd been fighting. "I think it was due to the witch blood that flows in her veins."

"Based on what Richter wrote," Jasper began, "I think that it's possible that initiating the sacrifice ritual has helped bring forth Carly's potential."

"It's possible," Carlisle agreed. "However, even with these records, we are still far from understanding how this weapon works."

"It works when you will it to work. Well, when you will it the right way, I suppose." Ella shrugged, grabbing a cookie from the tray placed at the center of the table. "These are delicious, Carly. You're improving. Gonna make a proper housewife out of you yet."

"When pigs fly!" Carly snorted. "Speaking of pigs, that was the last chocolate chip cookie, you hag!"

"I know." Ella's tone was nonchalant, but there was a glint in her eyes that Carlisle recognized as amusement rather than the annoyance she had been aiming for. "It's really tasty, too."

"Pig," Carly muttered under her breath, fully aware she would be heard by everyone. She was hoping to piss Ella off to get her to throw her cookie at her, but Ella just grinned and continued to munch.

Jasper sighed. "I sometimes forget how young those two are..."

"Well, Grandpa, some of us have earned our immortality just recently." Ella smiled at him, not offended at all. "Anyway, I can still kick your ass."

"Remind me who ended up on her ass the last time we practiced?"

"Both of us." Ella smirked.

Because it was true, Jasper dropped it. "I wonder if we can test Richter's theory about the gems," he said, changing the subject.

"You want me to try to activate the gems?" Ella asked, already mulling over the idea. "You doubt Richter's words? Why?"

"I don't doubt him. I doubt luck. I doubt chance, coincidence," he explained. "You have naturally good instincts for fighting, Ella, but you still train in a variety of techniques to improve yourself. You don't trust just luck to get you by. I want to do the same with the Vampire Killer's power."

"It's worth a try," Carlisle said hesitantly. He could already see the idea taking root in Ella's mind and knew it would be useless to argue with her. It was also practical, he thought. Knowing how to work the weapon's inner power, rather than trusting chance, would make it that much more efficient in case she had to defend herself, though he hated the thought of his mate being in a position where she would have to defend herself.

"Then let's do it." Ella stood up.

"Hold on," Carly called. "Guinea pig over here might have some objections to this plan."

"You're immortal. What do you have to worry about?" Jasper asked, smiling.

Carly rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning on taking my newly acquired immortality for a test run just yet."

"She won't be attacking you, Carly," Daniel said. "I think she should try drawing energy from both of us. That way, there's less of a chance that too much is taken form one person."

"Plus, it probably won't work," Ella added.

"Way to go, Miss Optimism," Alice said and raised a brow. "Why do you say that?"

"Oh, come on." Ella sighed. "Since when did things _ever_ work on their first attempt?"

"We won't know if we don't try," Carly intervened. "Let's get it over with."

o.O.o

They all went to the backyard, stepping a little further toward the forest to reduce the chance of breaking the odd window, and positioned themselves so that Ella and Jasper were facing each other. Alice and Carlisle stood to their right, and Carly and Daniel stood on their left.

"This was your idea, Jasper," Ella said. "What do you think we should do?"

"Hmm..." Jasper thought about it for a few moments. "Let's try doing our usual session, but this time, try to focus on drawing energy from the weapon. I think it'll be better if you had an opponent."

Ella glanced at Carlisle. She knew he had a hard time watching her practice, being attacked. He gave her a small nod and an encouraging smile, but she could see tension in his eyes.

"Okay. I'm ready."

"Carly, Daniel." Jasper turned to them. "I think you should hold hands or something, be in contact, and try to focus on sending your energy to Ella."

They both nodded, their fingers interlacing.

"We're ready," Daniel said.

"Okay." Jasper turned back to Ella. "Let's give it a try."

Alice and Carlisle stood still and watched as Jasper and Ella sparred. They had improved this form of training to the point where it almost seemed like a dance. Both graceful in their own right, their movements were sharp and precise. Ella attacked, and Jasper deflected; Jasper charged, and she evaded.

They all kept the Vampire Killer in their peripheral vision, each worried about their loved ones, but its gems never changed color. No matter if Ella was on the offensive or the defensive, the gems remained a clear crystal.

After about an hour, with streams of sweat running down her back, Ella called it quits. "I need a break, and this shit's not working."

"Yeah," Alice agreed. "I guess you were right after all, Ella."

"I usually am." She walked over to Carlisle, threw her arms around his shoulders, and planted a kiss on his lips. She knew he'd been watching her anxiously; the kiss and the contact would help put his inner animal at ease. That wasn't the only reason that their kiss soon turned passionate, though. A good training session-or a successful hunt-usually left her very energized, and after meeting Carlisle, that energy turned sexual.

Carlisle could feel desire rising inside her and flowing into him and had to work hard to keep in mind that they had company. He was almost certain that his heart gave a beat just before she finally pulled away.

"I need a shower," Ella announced.

"A cold one," Carly added.

"Jealous, sis?"

Carly gave her a sultry smile. "You wish."

"Oh, that's real sweet of you," Ella placed a hand on her chest, smiling innocently, "but I don't swing that way. Plus, I doubt Daniel shares."

Carly watched, shaking her head and hiding a smile, as Ella practically skipped across the yard as she headed into the house. "How does she have so much energy?"

Daniel smiled, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pressing her to him. "Well, she _is_ the Slayer."

Neither of them noticed Carlisle's grimace at the comment.

o.O.o

All three girls were so excited when Graduation Day finally arrived that not even Carly complained about the long preparations Alice had decided upon. They started the day with a visit to the spa. There, a whirlpool bath and a relaxing massage were followed by a manicure and a pedicure. Once they were done with the spa, they headed back to the Cullen house; it had become the unofficial headquarters for the girls to get ready in. The boys had been banished to Daniel's house while the girls were getting their hair and makeup done. Carlisle left early that morning for a shift at the hospital and was due back just an hour before the ceremony. Therefore, it was agreed that he would pick Daniel and Jasper up on his way back so they could all get dressed as well.

"Okay, first, we've got rollers," Alice announced as the girls entered her bedroom. "Since all three of us need them, I made sure that we had enough." She gestured at the three square bags standing on the bed.

Carly giggled. "God forbid we didn't have enough rollers!"

Ella smiled, rolling her eyes. "You two start on the rollers. I'm going to get us something to eat. I'm starving!"

"Pig!" Carly called after her. "We just had breakfast!"

"Yeah, three hours ago," Ella called back from the stairs.

Alice had skillfully controlled her expression, so she was wearing a smile by the time Carly turned to look at her. Jasper had shared his concerns with her, and she was noticing the changes in Ella herself. There were things she saw that neither of the men did. Not wanting to add to their worries, Alice didn't tell them about the time Ella had broken down because she'd gained several pounds. She also didn't mention the slow shift in Ella's diet toward meat or Ella's growing preference for it to be barely cooked before it was served.

Alice could smell Carlisle on Ella so strongly now that it was almost as though Carlisle was in the same room with them. Ella's heart was working harder now, beating so fast Alice could only recall one sound that was similar to it-her own heart, during the days she had burned in the pains of the transformation. Alice had asked Jasper to listen to Ella's heart, seeing as his memories of her change were much clearer, and he'd confirmed her recollections.

"I'm worried about her," Carly said quietly, pulling Alice away from her memories.

The smile Alice had plastered on her face fell. "Why?"

"She's...different." Carly cocked her head to the side. "She's happier now that she has Carlisle, but I feel like there's something going on beneath the surface that she's not telling me. It's the same feeling I had about her back when we were in Germany, but it's not as negative." Laughing at herself, she shook her head. "I'm being silly. Don't mind me. Now, I'm ready for my pampering!"

Alice smiled again. "Come sit in your chair, your Majesty."

Pushing her worries aside, Alice decided that she was going to make sure that they enjoyed today. It was Ella's and Carly's first graduation, and she wanted to make sure it was perfect.

o.O.o

Downstairs in the kitchen, Ella prepared a green salad and two grilled cheese sandwiches. She wolfed down the meal in less time than it had taken her to make it, but she paused when the plate in front of her was suddenly empty, laughing at herself. She hadn't been insulted when Carly had called her a pig because it was true that she'd been eating more lately.

She had lost her appetite after the first time she'd met Carlisle. She hadn't know that this was due to the fact that she was missing her soul mate, but her loss of appetite in combination with the great physical demand had caused her to lose a lot of weight. It only made sense that she would be putting those pounds back on now that she'd found him.

True, she had had a breakdown-thankfully, Alice had been the only witness to it, and Ella could trust her not to mention it to anyone-regarding the extra pounds she'd gained, but she wasn't about to start beating herself up over re-gaining the weight she'd lost.

Well, maybe it was a little bit more than just what she'd lost. She would just have to add another mile to her run and twenty more minutes to her daily workout to compensate for it. Even with the Vampire Killer in her hands, her body was still her main weapon, and she needed to take better care of it.

She made her way back to Alice's bedroom and smiled when she saw that Alice had already started working on getting the rollers in Carly's hair. "I see Princess Carly is already sitting on her throne." She owed her sister for that pig comment.

Carly snorted.

"Come give me a hand, Ella." Alice nudged the bag with the rollers toward Ella. "I'll do her right side; you do her left."

"My, my, you really _are_ a princess, Carly." Ella picked up a roller. "You even have two ladies-in-waiting serving you."

"If you're my lady-in-waiting, then I must be one of the least favorite children of the king 'cause you suck." Carly stuck out her tongue at her and watched the mirror to see Ella rolling her eyes.

"Since when do you even know what a lady-in-waiting is?" Alice asked, looking at Ella with some surprise.

"Carly is a geek, and she's always spewing random facts." Ella shrugged. "Sometimes I actually listen."

"I don't spew random facts. I share valuable information."

Ella flashed a grin at her sister. "Sure you do."

Carly's eyes narrowed. "You know...one day I'm really going to feel insulted."

"No, you won't." Ella secured another roller. "You like me too much, and you know that I'm only teasing you."

o.O.o

It took another two hours before all three girls were ready. The men had arrived at the house earlier, but they had been firmly instructed not to enter Alice's bedroom-Jasper had his clothes handed to him and was sent to the guestroom to shower-and to make sure they were ready on time.

"You, Alice, are an artist," Carly said, unable to take her eyes away from her own reflection. The dress she wore was done in delicate shades of pink, ranging from the pastel to the dark peach hues. It was short and strapless, with a tight-fitting bodice, but the skirt was loose and had long, wavy strands of fabric going to the tops of her knees. The color of the shoes Alice had given her matched the dress perfectly, and the hairstyle-soft curls pinned away from her face with small lily flower pins-made her feel like a true princess.

"Thank you." Alice was beaming with delight. "Ella? You've been awfully quiet."

"Oh, stop fishing for compliments." Ella's smile was too bright to match the reproving words. "You're the best; you know that even without me saying it. It's just a shame that this gorgeous dress is going to be hidden under that hideous cape they're making us wear."

"You won't be wearing that cape for long." Alice's expression turned cunning. "Just imagine Carlisle's face when he sees you."

"Oh, I have. Several times."

Her dress was of a smooth, dark red color, but in no way could it be called simple. It had one strap and dipped in the side, leaving Ella's back and a glimpse of her ribcage bare. The skirt was cut diagonally, the left side reaching mid-thigh and the right trailing down to her heels. She wore thigh-high stockings underneath the skirt and decided that she would never wear full pantyhose again. The stockings made her feel sexy, and they lacked the choking sensation that wearing pantyhose always left her with. Not to mention that they were much easier to access...

"You don't look too bad yourself." Ella turned to Alice, pulling her mind out of the gutter. "You really are an artist, Alice. Thank you for doing this for us."

"You're welcome, Ella. I've really enjoyed myself." Alice gave her a critical look. "Now, stand still. I need to give your hair another brush."

Ella rolled her eyes but remained in place. She'd wanted to pin her hair up, but Alice had objected, saying that the soft curls would look better. Their compromise was a thin braid along Ella's hairline that was pinned underneath her long mane of hair; it would keep the hair out of her face while still leaving her hair down.

"That's it," Alice said after a few brush strokes.

"She was perfect before," Carly grumbled. "Now quit stalling. I want to see Daniel's face when he sees me."

Alice gave one last glance in the mirror. Her black dress hung from two thin straps, the skirt short in the front and falling almost all the way down to the floor in the back. Her shoes-sandals that tied in thin strings-were crisscrossed along her ankles and added five inches to her height. She giggled when she realized that she would have never been able to walk in them if she were anything but a vampire.

o.O.o

Alice came down the stairs first, smiling when she saw the glint of desire rise in Jasper's eyes. She kissed him gently upon reaching him and turned to watch Carly and Ella come down. She noted that Daniel was appropriately impressed with Carly's appearance, but she enjoyed Carlisle's reaction even more. He was absolutely stunned speechless.

Ella didn't look down as she descended the stairs; instead, she fixed her gaze on Carlisle's face. She knew that she looked good, but seeing the raw desire, the love, and the adoration in his expression was better than any reflection. She could tell that he was barely holding himself in place long enough to let her finish her descent, and she smiled slowly, seductively. He was hers, every splendid inch of him-body and soul.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around her and pressed her body to his as soon as she was on the last step. He couldn't wait any longer. He needed to touch her, to feel her skin, to assure himself that this magnificent, sensual creature was truly _his_.

"If you mess up her hair, I _will_ kick you," Alice warned as he laid his lips on Ella's and reached to thread his fingers through her hair.

Ella chuckled at the threat, slightly breathless from the kiss. "Later," she murmured as she pulled away.

Her eyes held a promise he was more than ready to collect at that very moment, but he made a conscious effort to control himself. It didn't help that he was still holding her, still feeling the silkiness of the fabric-red, the color of sin, he thought-sliding against his skin. He groaned audibly when she turned to take her coat-a matching red to her dress-and saw that her back was bare but for one narrow strip of fabric going across her shoulder blades. The bottom dipped to the small of her back. The dress was as sinful as her eyes when she turned to look at him and mouthed again, "Later."

o.O.o

Carlisle wanted to thank whoever had chosen the hideous capes for the graduating class of 1999. It hid Ella's body perfectly under its shapeless form as she walked across the stage to collect her diploma. He felt his pride bursting inside him as she turned to wink at him. This amazing woman was his, and she'd pulled through against all odds to graduate along with her class. She was smart, and he was already contemplating convincing her to apply to an Ivy League university. She'd refused to apply anywhere this year, telling him that they first needed to sort things out with the Vampire Killer and the Council, and he'd had no choice but to accept. He hoped to convince her to go the following year. She deserved it.

Once the ceremony was over, Ella ran over to him, just as Carly and Alice ran to Daniel and Jasper, respectively. He laughed and swung her in the air, setting her cape afloat around her ankles.

"Congratulations," he whispered to her when he placed her back on her feet. He leaned down to kiss her, ignoring the shocked gasps around them. She'd graduated; they'd be moving in together in a few weeks. He couldn't care less what the people around them thought.

When they pulled apart, he kept his hand underneath the cape and on her waist, his thumb teasing the skin just above the fabric of the dress.

"Throwing caution to the wind, are we?" Ella asked.

He shrugged. "I don't hear you objecting."

"I'm not." She leaned in for another short kiss. "I also like the fact that all the horny sluts in Forks will now know that you're _mine_."

There was a hint of a growl at the end of her words, and the feral, possessive look on her face had his body hardening instantly. "I'm yours, and you are mine."

"Come on, Ella. Let's get rid of these monstrosities," Alice called from their side, "and start moving toward the cars."

Ella didn't look away from Carlisle as she flung the cape away. There were several more gasps when people saw the dress she was wearing, and the whispering around them increased. "I can't wait to feel those hands of yours on me. I want to dance!"

Carlisle let a slow grin spread on his face. "Your carriage awaits, milady." He brought one of her hands to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "I'd be honored to dance with you tonight."

She laughed, a deep, husky sound that went straight to his loins. "Lead the way, milord."

o.O.o

For one night, Ella and Carlisle allowed themselves to unwind. They left all thoughts but those about each other for tomorrow and simply enjoyed their time together. They danced-although Carlisle found it hard to call the rubbing of her scarcely dressed derrière against his groin dancing-and they laughed. And when they returned home, they made love throughout the night. He worshiped her body, for once allowing himself to admire the new fullness of her breasts and the new curves of her body without thinking about why or how they came to be.

Ella lost herself to his touch, his taste, his love. She arched her back and clung to him, kissed him, and embraced his touch. She took him into her and felt both immensely strong and unbelievably vulnerable. He was everything, she thought, and he was hers.

o.O.o

Reality came, as it often did, in the form of a phone call. The news that Elizabeth shared with them was devastating. Ella took the news of Adele's death the hardest, having spent the most time with her out of everyone, but she had to push the grief aside when Elizabeth called again. It was time to be the Slayer. There would be time enough to grieve later, time to let herself cry on Carlisle's shoulder and let him comfort her.

"Do we know who did this?" Ella asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"I assume it's been orchestrated by the Council," Elizabeth replied, "but I have no proof."

"I trust your instincts. What do the police think?"

"Robbery gone wrong."

"Yeah, that's usually the excuse." Ella sighed, trying not to think back about how the deaths of her parents and Watcher had had to be covered up as such.

"True. In light of this, I think that you should come here sooner rather than later. I think I've found a perfect location for us. It's large enough to allow training indoors, remote enough not to have any nosey neighbors, and I have inherited one hell of a library, with more books than you can imagine, and a basement full of every weapon you've ever wanted, Ella. Ade-" Elizabeth's voice cracked on the name. "She made all the necessary preparations beforehand."

Ella glanced around the room and got nods of approval from everyone. "We'll be there as soon as we can, Elizabeth. You stay safe, okay?"

"I will do my best. Call me when you have your flight information."

"We will," Ella promised, and they ended the call. She closed her eyes, pressing her hands to her face, and took several deep breaths.

Carlisle placed his hand on her back. "Alice, Jasper, help Carly and Daniel pack their houses and close them down. Ella and I will take care of this one. Jasper, please take care of the documents we'll need."

Jasper and Alice nodded, and a moment later, everyone left the room in understanding.

Ella fell into Carlisle's embrace, sobbing, and he let her cry. She was already holding too much inside of her, he thought, carrying too heavy a load on her shoulders. The only light he saw in the darkness that surrounded them at that moment was the fact that she had chosen to lean on him, come to him for comfort. Unlike what he'd heard from Daniel and Carly, Ella didn't clam up, didn't push him away.

As she continued to cry-over both sets of her parents, over her old Watcher, over Adele, and maybe even over the loss of her own innocence at much too young an age-he carried her to the armchair in their room and sat down with her in his lap, stroking her hair.

It was a long while before Ella finally quieted down. "Thank you," she murmured in a hoarse voice. "I guess a good cry was long overdue for me."

"You are holding too much bottled up inside," he said quietly. "I'm glad you allowed yourself to let go."

"Me, too." She sighed but made no move to get up. She enjoyed being cuddled to him, her head resting on his chest. "Carlisle?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me what has gotten you worried so much over the past few weeks?"

His hand, which was caressing her back, froze.

"I'm not stupid, Carlisle, nor am I blind," she said softly. "I know that you've been worrying. I waited for you to come to me, but you didn't. So I'm coming to you. What's wrong?"

"Oh, _la mia_ _anima_ , I didn't mean to cause you worry." He kissed her on the top of her head. "You are right, though, I should have come to you sooner."

She looked up at him, seeing the honest regret in his eyes. "Mia anima? That's a new one."

"It means my soul." He smiled down at her, knowing that this was what she had intended for him to do. "It's something that Jasper brought up a couple of weeks ago. Your scent has changed."

"I know. I smell more like you now. I thought that was natural."

"It is-to an extent. Your scent, however, changed more than what I would have expected, but it was only the first sign."

She stiffened. "First sign?"

"Yes. Your body has changed slightly, too."

"I've gained a few pounds." Her frown deepened. "Didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"Normally, it wouldn't be. I love your body." He deliberately traced her side from shoulder to hip. "I love the new curves, and the, um...improvement to your front." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "At least you're not calling me fat."

"You're far from fat, but these changes-the change in your scent, the increase in your heart rate-are disconcerting."

"My heart rate?" She quirked her brow and made a face as she placed two fingers at the base of her throat. She could sense nothing out of the ordinary with her heartbeat. It always beat a little faster when Carlisle was holding her. She was about to point that out, but Carlisle clarified.

"Yes. All three combined...well, we're worried that you might be slowly changing."

Ella froze. "Changing?" Her voice was flat.

"To a vampire." He traced the impression of his teeth at the base of her throat, just above where her fingers now lay. "I didn't think that my bite introduced enough venom into your system to initiate a change, but I haven't considered...other methods of exposure."

She felt herself blush when she thought about exactly which other methods he was referring to. She didn't _feel_ that she was changing, though. She felt...good. _Better_ than good. "Shouldn't a change be painful?"

"It should, and it shouldn't be this slow. This is one of the reasons why I didn't mention it. I was hoping to come up with a better explanation."

"I don't think many human women survive mating with a vampire long enough to test this," she said dryly.

"You're right." He sighed. "Since I had nothing concrete, I decided to hold back. You've had enough to worry about as it is."

"Carlisle," she looked at him pointedly, "no matter how much I have to worry about, no matter what evil stands before us, I don't want you to hold _anything_ back from me. Secrets only lead to more secrets and to lies. I don't ever want you to lie to me."

"I never will."

"Good." She leaned her head back on his chest, but then a thought came to her, and she straightened back up. "A blood test!"

"What?"

"You have a microscope here, right?"

"Yes, but...oh!" Carlisle smiled down at her. "You're a little genius."

"I like to think so."

He laughed. "Would you mind if we did the test now?"

"Eager to poke me with your needle, are you?" She grinned mischievously. "Sure, why not. If it'll make you stop worrying."

He didn't let go of her-not that she minded-and carried her in his arms to his study. He took a small sample of her blood and placed the slide under the microscope. Momentarily distracted by the anomalies in her blood compared to that of a normal human, he almost forgot what he was looking for. Focusing, he checked the sample under several magnifications. It was hard to determine which of the anomalies he was seeing were due to her uniqueness and which might be pointing to a slow transformation occurring. He wanted to be absolutely sure.

"So, Doc, what's the verdict?"

"No venom." He looked up at her, matching her smile with one of his own. "I guess it is nothing more than my own paranoia after all."

"And the normal oddness that comes with being a Slayer." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't mind you being a little paranoid, but let me be paranoid with you next time, okay?"

"I promise." He crossed his hands on her lower back and pulled her in for a kiss. He'd missed the taste of her. It had been far too long since he'd kissed her.

She went willingly to him, her lips pliable and accepting. It was a sweet kiss, one of relief and happiness. "We really need to start packing," she murmured as she kissed him again and again.

"Yeah, we really should." He slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. "Right after I'm done kissing you."

She chuckled, hitching her leg around his waist. She'd always wondered when they'd get to christening his office, she thought as he dragged her to sit on his desk.

"Mi fai impazzire," he whispered.

"I love it when you speak Italian." She arched her back so he could reach behind her to undo her bra. "I don't understand a word, but it _really_ turns me on."

"I said that you drive me insane." He nibbled on her shoulder as he pulled her shirt away from her body. "I can't think straight when I have you so close to me."

"Then stop trying."

What an excellent offer, he thought as he felt her open his slacks and her warm hand began stroking his naked flesh a moment later.

"Thinking is overrated," she whispered, biting gently on his neck. _Definitely overrated._

 


	32. Healer and Killer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story officially won Best Cullen Lovin' (WIP) in the Emerging Swan Awards 2012 ! *insert squee right about here, hehe*
> 
> But wait, there's more! Along with TLME, Three other stories won as well! "The Devil and his Maiden" won Best Cullen Lovin' (OS), "Wild Flower" won Best Cullen Lovin' (Short Story), and "When the Twilight Never Comes" won Best Mystery/Adventure (Complete)!
> 
> So thank you so so much for reading and voting for my stories. You guys are the best! This is my way of giving you all something that would make you smile :)

**Chapter Thirty-Two – Healer and Killer**

Ella stood in the large area of Almond Manor that could only be the ballroom Elizabeth had mentioned prior to their arrival and stared at her surroundings in both amazement and satisfaction. The place was definitely large enough for them to have a good training session—or even the occasional ball. Chuckling at the thought, she turned to Carlisle. “I like it.”

He placed an arm around her shoulders. “That’s good.”

“Ella?” Daniel walked into the room, holding what looked like Richter’s notes in his hands. “I think I have a new theory about the activation of the gems.”

Carlisle frowned. “Oh? Which one? I thought we’d tried them all.”

“We were missing one Keeper,” he said.

“Of course!” Ella felt like slapping herself as his words sank in. “Elizabeth!”

Daniel nodded.

“Someone mention my name?” Elizabeth asked, entering the room.

“Yes, we did _,_ ” Ella said before briefly going over the training session she’d had with Jasper, Daniel, and Carly, filling Elizabeth in on their failed attempts to activate the gems.

“I think it might need all of the Keepers present in order to work,” Daniel said. “That’s how it was the first time the gems were activated.”

“Is this a closed-quarters meeting or can anyone join in?” Carly walked in from yet _another_ entrance, making Ella wonder just how many entrances this bloody room had.

“They let you in the door, so I guess you’re okay.” Ella winked at her. “But before you all start playing guinea pigs, I want a nice, long bubble bath.”

“That sounds fair enough.” Jasper pretended to check his wrist, which was bare, and said, “Will an hour be enough?”

Ella burst in a fit of giggles. “Tyrant!”

Jasper grinned.

“Oh, we all know you and Carlisle want to screw each other’s brains out,” Carly said casually. “We also know it would probably last much longer than an hour, so how about we meet here tomorrow?”

Ella was torn between the desire to laugh and the urge to throw something really heavy at her sister.

“Um, before Carly gets her face smashed,” Alice said slowly, seeing a vision of Carly trying to dodge a cast-iron paper weight thrown at her, “I’d say it’s time we all go check out our rooms.”

o.O.o

By noon the next day, Ella could feel every muscle in her body aching. She’d been training with Jasper since shortly after dawn, and by now, she reached the conclusion that the word tyrant was way too nice for him. Carlisle was keeping an eye on the two of them, as was Alice, but everyone else was still sleeping.

Grumpy, tired, and aching, Ella had to grit her teeth to stop herself from snapping at a much-too-cheerful Carly coming out to the lawn at the back of the house. Daniel and Elizabeth followed Carly, but after seeing the expression on Ella’s face, they grew wary.

“Have you been torturing her since dawn again?” Carly asked.

“So what if I have?” Jasper shrugged. “She can use the practice.”

“Bastard,” Ella grumbled, not caring that he’d heard her.

“Oh, come on. You can do better than that.”

Ella closed her eyes and tightened her lips. Anger wouldn’t get her anywhere, she reminded herself.

“Hey, Carly?” Jasper called, not turning away from Ella.

“What?”

“Ready to be a guinea pig?” He could sense the irritation building inside Carly and slowly enhanced it.

“I’m so thrilled I can hardly take it,” Carly replied dryly. “Where do you want me?”

“Facing the wall and shutting up,” he retorted, “but I’m not that lucky.”

The grin he flashed her way was the final straw for Carly. She’d always had a short fuse, but with Jasper’s influence enhancing it, it shortened even further. Her eyes flashed silver, the power brimming inside her, but before she could do any damage to Jasper, Daniel was already calming her. Jasper withdrew his influence, noting that it didn’t take long for him to bring her to the edge.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Carly’s eyes flared but remained their natural color.

“I did. The last time the gems were activated, there were a lot of emotions involved,” Jasper explained. “Anger is the easiest one to evoke in you, Carly, so I chose to experiment with it.”

“I was just as pissed,” Ella said. “You might have a point there.”

“Yes, but if this is going to work, Jasper would need to influence _you_ , Ella,” Alice said. “You have too much control over your emotions to react strongly enough for the gems to be activated.”

“Hmm...” Ella thought about it for a moment. She’d never really given much thought to how or why she blocked Jasper’s gift; it was just a given trait that she’d always attributed to her being a Slayer. “I can try.”

“Okay. I’ll start with a low level of influence,” Jasper said, turning to face her.

“Daniel, Elizabeth, Carly, hold hands,” Carlisle instructed. “You were touching each other in the labyrinth, and I think it would be smart to reconstruct the situation as closely as possible.”

“Okay.” Carly shrugged and slid one hand into Daniel’s and the other into Elizabeth’s.

“I’ll be influencing both you and Carly,” Jasper said. “Carlisle, be ready to restrain Ella. If this works, I don’t want to end up missing a limb.”

Ella smiled at that, knowing that it was more than a likely possibility. She took several deep breaths and nodded for Jasper to begin. Just like the first time he’d used his gift on her, she felt it almost like a shroud covering her. It was an unpleasant, choking sensation, and her entire being rebelled against it instinctually. Clenching her jaw and gritting her teeth, Ella forced herself to accept the blanket of emotions.

She began to feel it, seeping through whatever force was guarding her, and her temper flared. The years of control she had practiced kicked in, and she instinctively dug her heels into the dirt. One part of her mind was telling her that this was Jasper, a friend, a family member—he was more of an annoying cousin than a much beloved brother, but he was still family. Another part of her began seeing him as her enemy, a demon, a vampire, something that she was _created_ to destroy. She was born to fight creatures like him. It was her duty.

Why was she holding herself back?

Carlisle watched with fascination as the weapon in Ella’s hands began to shimmer and then glow. The silver was almost sparkling, and the gems turned a bright pink color. It changed to red and then to a bright orange. He chanced a glance and saw Daniel holding Carly in place, her eyes pure silver.

“Jasper, that’s enough,” Carlisle said quietly.

Jasper nodded and pulled his influence back.

In a matter of seconds, the weapon’s glow was gone, and the gems turned clear once again.

“I saw you,” Alice murmured, staring at Ella in part shock and part amazement.

“See anything interesting?” It wasn’t a real snap, but Ella could tell that her emotions weren’t back under control just yet.

“You’re going to be one of us.” Alice’s tone was still quiet.

The words had just left Alice’s mouth, and Carly’s temper flared. “You want to be a monster? Are you out of your freaking mind?”

Ella’s head snapped to Carly. Pissed at the implication, she shouted back, “It’s none of your goddamn business, witch.”

Sparks flew in the air as their eyes met, and thunder boomed behind them. Carly’s hand lashed out, mimicking a backslapping motion, and Ella was sent flying backward into Carlisle, knocking them both down.

A painful cry was heard from Ella when she landed next to him, her head banging against a hidden rock in the ground, and three vampires hissed as the smell of blood infused the air.

Carly gasped in shock and ran toward Ella only to stop dead in her tracks at the sound of Carlisle’s fierce growl.

“Careful,” Alice murmured, pulling her back. “Don’t come near him yet.”

“I’m sorry, Ella! I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m okay,” Ella murmured, slightly dizzy. “Don’t worry, Carly. It’s just a small bump.” She winced when Carlisle’s hand touched the tender spot, and she heard him growl again. She turned to look into his eyes. They were feral. “I’m okay. I promise. It’s only a bump.”

Everyone but Ella stared wide-eyed as Carlisle’s hand shimmered as it came into contact with Ella’s wound.

Ella felt a warm, tingling sensation, and all at once, the pain was gone. She reached behind her head, but the tenderness was gone without a trace.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Carlisle asked in a whisper, his eyes searching hers.

“Perfect, but...” She turned to look at the others and then back at Carlisle. “What the fuck just happened?”

“Carly threw you to the side—” Carlisle started to explain.

“I think she meant the part where your hand glowed,” Carly interrupted him. “Frankly, I’d like to know what happened myself. Are you okay, Ella?”

“I’m perfect.” Ella tried to sit up, but Carlisle stopped her. “I’m perfect. I’m not in pain. I promise.”

He raised a brow in suspicion and took another look at her head. There was no fresh blood there. He touched the spot where she’d hit the ground and watched her face carefully. There was no trace of pain in her eyes.

“I think that we now know why the prophecy calls you a Healer,” Jasper said quietly.

“Well, fuck me seven ways till Sunday and call me sweetheart.” Carly huffed. “Another freak joins the fray.”

“No, thank you, Carly,” Carlisle replied. “I don’t think Ella would approve if I did.”

o.O.o

After a quick shower to wash the grime off, Ella and Carlisle joined the others in the library.

“I’d say our little experiment was a success,” Carly said. “You’re a pretty useful guy to have around, Carlisle.”

Carlisle did not smile in return. His emotions were too much of a roller-coaster ride at the moment. He didn’t like it when his own body did something that his mind wasn’t expecting. It was an unnerving experience.

“I tried searching our sources for a connection to the Vampire Killer,” Daniel said. “I couldn’t find anything.”

“You wouldn’t find anything,” Elizabeth said from the doorway. She was holding a tray with sandwiches on it. “I didn’t think we’d have time to take a break for lunch, so I brought these.”

Daniel and Carly quickly pushed aside the books they’d used in their research so Elizabeth could place the tray on the desk.

“Why not?” Carly asked her.

“I think it’s time that I come clean about something.” Elizabeth sighed as she sat down. She was tired and emotionally drained, but she pulled herself together and looked at the faces surrounding her. _Her friends_ , she thought. _No_ , she corrected, _her_ family. Just like her birth family, she hadn’t chosen these people; they had been chosen for her by fate, but they were just as much her family as Adele had been.

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Ella let Carlisle lead her to the armchair and pull her onto his lap. He was worried about her, she realized, so she didn’t comment on the possessiveness he was demonstrating.

“Back in Germany, when you told me about the changes in Ella’s behavior, I understood what was going on and didn’t tell you,” Elizabeth began. She kept her voice steady and her head high. She wasn’t ashamed of her actions; it was her duty. “I consulted with Adele, and we decided that we shouldn’t interfere.”

Carly felt a spark of anger rise inside her. She hated being lied to, even if it _was_ lying by omission. She squelched it, though. She would listen, she decided, and then she’d make up her mind.

“It took me a while to put the pieces together. What you told me, what I’ve witnessed myself. What you were going through, Ella”—she looked at her—“was perfectly normal. You just weren’t aware of it. You’re a supernatural creature because of your heritage, and you’ve found your soul mate, the one that fate intended for you. Instead of completing the bond, though, you resisted it for some reason, and as far as I could tell, so did your soul mate.”

Carlisle gave a small nod in reply to Elizabeth’s questioning gaze.

“There have been stories, legends passed down in my family for generations, about a warrior that will reverse the terrible fate that has been bestowed upon our bloodline. The warrior is said to find her match in the heart and soul of a demon. I’ve always wondered how those two settled together, but Adele told me that legends only show one side of the story. After meeting you, I must agree.” She offered Carlisle a small smile. “The legend goes on to speak of a gift that the warrior is going to give her chosen one; she is to be his key.”

Daniel listened, fascinated with the new information. He wondered if he could ask to see those old family legends, for he was sure that there would be more he could learn from them.

“His key?” Ella asked with a frown. She didn’t make her usual comment about how she hated cryptic legends, holding the words back.

“Yes. I asked the same question when I was first told the legend by my grandmother. She told me that the warrior will unlock a part in the demon that goes against his very nature and yet suits him perfectly.” Elizabeth’s smile this time was nostalgic. “You can imagine that I was even more confused by _that_ answer.”

“But it makes sense now,” Ella murmured. “If I, somehow, unlocked the gift of healing...” She trailed off and turned to look at Carlisle. “Healing is something that is only relevant for humans, so for any normal vampire of your kind, it would be going against their very nature. But because you are who you are, it suits you perfectly.”

Carlisle was once again amazed at the love and devotion he could see in her face, hear in her words. He held her a little tighter to him, enjoying the warmth of her body.

“That gift will come in handy, living with you, Ella.” Carly smirked, knowing that it would get a rise out of her sister.

“Oh, shut up, Carly.” There was no heat behind the words.

“Hmph! You’re no fun anymore.”

“Stop pouting. You look like a baby.” Ella chuckled when Carly’s pout deepened at her words. She reached for one of the sandwiches Elizabeth had brought out and found herself revolted at the smell. “What did you put in these?”

Carlisle sniffed but found nothing out of the ordinary in the sandwich. He had grown accustomed to smelling food around him. It didn’t smell spoiled as far as he could determine.

“The one you’re holding has lettuce, tomato, sausage, and mayo.” Elizabeth looked worried. “Everything is fresh.”

Carlisle watched with alarm as Ella’s face turned green before she shot up. He ran after her to the bathroom, kneeling beside her while she emptied her stomach. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her hair away from her face with the other, and waited for her to finish.

Ella leaned back into him when her stomach was finally empty. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths to calm down. She hadn’t been this violently ill since the first morning she’d woken up with Carlisle by her side.

She listened as he turned on the tap and let the water run for a few seconds, and then there was a wet towel pressing against her face. It felt good, but she wanted to wash both her face and her mouth. She made a move to stand, still supporting herself on him, not sure whether or not her feet could carry her.

Feeling much better after washing her face and brushing her teeth, she leaned back into Carlisle and stood as he hugged her for several long minutes.

“How are you feeling now?”

“Much better. A little hungry, actually.” She turned to look at him and made a face. “But not for the sandwiches!”

He chuckled, even though worry was still prominent in his mind. “Let’s get you some crackers and tea and see if your stomach can handle them.”

Ella pouted. “I don’t want crackers.” She looked down and saw his hand resting on her tummy. “I think that healing touch of yours works for more than just external injuries.”

“Hmm, that’s an interesting theory,” he allowed, “but you’re still starting with tea. Keep it down, and then we’ll see.”

“Fine,” she grumbled.

“Feeling better?” Carly asked as soon as they walked into the kitchen.

“Yes. I’m sorry about that.” Ella smiled sheepishly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable by the way everyone was staring at her.

“I threw away the sandwiches,” Elizabeth said. “Didn’t want to risk it.”

“Probably a smart idea,” Ella agreed.

“Elizabeth?” Daniel turned to her. “Do you think you could let me have a look at your family’s legends?” He’d meant to ask her later, but he could see how uncomfortable Ella was with the attention focusing on her and decided to change the subject.

“Sure. They’re in my room. I’ll bring them down for you to see after lunch.”

“Sit,” Carlisle ordered Ella, pointing to the chair. “I’ll make you some tea.”

Ella rolled her eyes but made sure to wait until after Carlisle’s back was turned to her. She saw Carly smirking at her and shrugged, not the least bit embarrassed that she’d been caught. “So what’s for lunch?”

“For you, plain rice,” Carlisle answered without turning.

Jasper chuckled at Ella’s rebellious expression. “We’ll pass that one, thank you.”

“I think Jasper and I will use this opportunity to check out what the surrounding forest has to offer us,” Alice said.

“There’s a village to the east of here, so you should head either north or west, to avoid company.”

“Thank you, Elizabeth.” Alice offered her a smile. “We’ll see you all later.”

“Have a good hunt,” Carlisle told Alice and Jasper. He placed the cup in front of Ella. “Drink. If you keep this down, I _might_ consider adding some seasoning to your rice.”

“If you put a plate of white rice in front of me,” Ella’s eyes darkened, “I will shove it down your throat.”

“Oh, would you, now?”

Daniel and Carly watched in fascination as Ella’s eyes narrowed and Carlisle seemed to be oblivious to her anger.

“I most definitely would.” Her tone was deceptively quiet. Then her body snapped up, and a growl erupted from her throat, making both Daniel and Carly jump back.

Alice and Jasper froze as they were exiting the kitchen. In a move too quick for any of the humans’ eyes in the room to see, Jasper turned to face the danger and placed Alice behind him.

Carlisle recognized the sound as a growl a vampire would make when it felt threatened, and he could feel the worry take residence in him again. Ella shouldn’t have been able to produce such a sound. He didn’t cower, though. He stood tall, staring into her eyes. His inner beast awakened at the sound of the growl, and he let out a warning sound of his own.

“I think we should leave these two alone,” Elizabeth murmured.

Carly was reluctant to leave, but when Ella shot up from her chair and threw Carlisle against one of the walls, she jumped—as did the other two—and nodded.

“The library,” Jasper said. “We need to talk.” It was time, he thought, that he shared his concerns with the rest of them. Ella was behaving more like a vampire now, and it was more than a little worrisome, especially if he added to it the fact that Alice had seen Ella becoming one of them.

o.O.o

Carlisle stood firm as Ella continued to growl at him. He raised one hand and was satisfied to see that she accepted his touch when he placed it on her shoulder. He could see no reasoning in her eyes, just a feral look and wide pupils.

Her growl turned into a whimper when he pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her to lock her hands to her body. The look in her eyes was no longer challenging, but pleading.

He felt shock reverberate in his body when Ella turned her head slightly to the side and offered him her neck in what was a textbook vampire submissive gesture. Her eyes remained on his, still pleading.

Words would do no good now, he thought. He leaned his head forward to place a soft kiss on her neck, on the mark he’d left there just over three months ago. And because she was his mate, because even his beast couldn’t help but offer her comfort, he purred quietly as he continued to nuzzle her neck.

She began rubbing against him, whimpering quietly. Her hands slid to wrap around his waist as she kissed his throat, scraping her teeth against his skin.

“Cara,” he murmured against her skin. “Come back to me, tesoro mio.”

She sighed his name once and went completely limp in his arms.

Catching her was easy. His instincts were designed to be much quicker than what was required to catch her before she fell to the ground. Beyond worried now, he carried her over to the laboratory that was next to his office. When they’d first moved in, he was surprised that the house included one, but Elizabeth explained to him that Adele had been preparing the manor to be the headquarters for the Slayer and her team. Having all of the medical gear necessary was one of the additions that Adele had begun and Elizabeth had completed.

He was grateful for their foresight now as he rushed Ella to the room, laying her on the hospital-like bed. She was breathing, but her heart was beating much too fast. He worked faster than he’d ever worked before, possible diagnoses and treatments flying through his mindHe . He pushed aside the anxiety and worry that threatened to overcome his composure and focused on his training.

She began to stir after a few minutes. “Carlisle?” Her eyes still closed, she was already reaching for him.

He was at her side, holding her hand, in an instant. “Elleanora? Open your eyes for me, cara.”

She blinked several times before opening her eyes and focusing her gaze on him. “What happened?”

“What do you remember?”

“I...I growled at you?” She looked puzzled. “I remember feeling threatened and growling at you.”

“What else?”

“I remember seeing that you were stronger and wanting nothing more than for you to accept me.” She made a face at that. He’d already accepted her, she thought. Her actions made no sense. “Carlisle? What’s happening to me?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

One of the machines beeped, and he turned to look which one had results for him.

“Don’t let go,” she begged as he was about to pull away. “I...” She felt tears choking her. “Don’t let go of me.”

“I won’t.” He kept one hand holding hers as he reached to the result sheet. Reading it, his expression turned confused, then disbelieving, and finally shocked.

“What is it?”

Placing the sheet back on the tray, he turned to her. She could see that his mind was still working in overdrive and felt her own anxiety grow.

“Either there’s an error in the results or...” He didn’t let himself even go there. “I need to give you a physical exam. Let me lock the door first.”

She gave him a small nod and tried to swallow her fear. Had he found some evidence to a terrible, incurable disease? No, the Vampire Killer was supposed to make her immortal. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing and heartbeat for several moments. She needed to relax. Panic was useless; it never helped solve a situation.

“Ready?” he asked quietly.

She nodded, opening her eyes. “Don’t hide anything from me. No matter how bad it is, I want to know.”

He leaned down to kiss her then. “I promise. I just need to make sure that I have the correct data before I say anything.”

“Very well, Doctor Cullen.” She offered him a shaky smile. “Your patient is ready.”

She tried to be patient as he gently pressed his hands under her chin, checked her breasts the same way that she had seen her mother check once, and asked if she felt any pain as he probed her tummy. She was puzzled when he kept his hand on her lower abdomen and leaned over as though to listen to something inside her.

She could see wonder, amazement, shock, and love...so much love in his eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was a good or a bad thing. “Now you’re really freaking me out. Just spit it out!”

“You’re pregnant.”

Stunned speechless, she stared at him as he repeated it once more. Her thoughts seemed to have frozen along with her tongue.

It wasn’t her heartbeat that was racing, Carlisle realized. What both he and Jasper thought to be her heart working hard were actually several hearts beating, echoing each other. He saw the wonder and shock in Ella’s face turn to fear, and he cursed himself.

“I’ve never been with anyone,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“Then how...? I mean, you’re dead.” She winced when she said that. “I didn’t mean...I just—”

“I know what you meant,” he said soothingly, reaching to wipe away a tear that was rolling down her cheek. “I don’t know how it happened. I don’t know if it’s even important at this point since it’s already happened.”

“Already happened,” she echoed. She placed her hand on her lower abdomen, just above his, and felt the softness of her own muscles. She wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t been looking for it, she thought. “How could I have missed this?”

“Stress?” he offered. “You said that your period was never regular. You had no reason to suspect otherwise. I’m quite embarrassed to admit that this possibility has never even crossed my mind, and I’m a doctor.”

“Some doctor you are.” She smiled a teary smile. “There’s a baby inside me.”

“Yes, uh...”

“What now?” She frowned.

“There’s more than one.”

“WHAT?” Her eyes widened in shock, and she shot up. “Are you freaking _kidding_ me?”

Alice and Jasper were the first to run through the door, breaking the wood into splinters, and they were shortly followed by Elizabeth, Carly, and Daniel.

“What’s wrong?” Carly demanded. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I’m not kidding, Elleanora, not with something like this.”

“How many?” she asked through clenched teeth. “And if you tell me there’s more than two, I _will_ hurt you.”

“Just two, cara.” He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “Two miracles.”

He loved them already, she realized at that moment. Throwing her arms around his neck, she began to sob.

“Why is she crying?” Carly asked when no one answered her previous questions. “And what’s this talk about miracles?”

Seeing that no one was going to answer her, Jasper walked over and reached for the results sheet he saw lying over one of the machines. He only understood half of what was written in the results, but it was enough.

“Carlisle, are these accurate?”

“As unbelievable as it sounds, they are,” Carlisle replied, still holding Ella tightly to him.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, what is it?” Alice called.

Jasper walked over to stand next to Alice. “I’ll let Ella and Carlisle deliver the news.”

The couple slowly pulled apart, and Carlisle helped Ella down from the bed.

Carly’s eyes focused on Carlisle’s arm, which was wrapped around Ella’s waist protectively. She didn’t like the gesture as it made her worry, and Ella’s tear-streaked face wasn’t helping, either.

“I’m pregnant,” Ella announced, “and according to Doctor Cullen here, there are two little devils inside me.”

Daniel felt Carly waver, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder to keep her upright. _Pregnant_ , he thought. _Well, this is certainly a surprise._

“I told you fate would find a way,” Elizabeth said quietly, smiling. “Congratulations.”

* * *

_Can we all just say that it's about freaking time?_

_If you're wondering what Elizabeth is referring to, go back to her conversation with Ella at the end of chapter 28._

_I know that this development might worry some of you, so let me assure you that this is not going to be the focal point of the story (not to mention that we're only 2 chapters away from the epilogue, and I will not leave you hanging)._

_Now, let the guessing game begin: what would they have, boys, girls, one of each? Also, what do you think they will call them? The answer will be revealed only in the epilogue, so I'd love to hear what you think!_

_Chapter 33 will be here this Friday (19th), and reviewers will, as always, get a small teaser from me in the PM._

_I hope that you're all having at least half as nice of a day as I am._

_Thank you again for reading, reviewing, and sticking with me._

_Alley Cat._


	33. Prevail

**Chapter Thirty-Three – Prevail**

Between running her through every test he could think of and muttering to himself, Ella thought that if Carlisle didn’t relax, she would be forced to hit him with something heavy.

“You’re doing a pretty good impression of the mad scientist over there,” she commented from her place on the bed. She refused to lie down any longer. He’d had her hooked up to at least three monitors for over thirty minutes now but hadn’t told her anything yet.

“Huh?”

“You look like a mad scientist,” she repeated, “and I’m about to make an impression of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster.”

Carlisle smiled sheepishly and put down the paper he was holding. “I’m sorry.” He approached her and began disconnecting the monitors.

“You are worried, I get that.” Once her hands were freed, she wrapped them around his neck. “We’ll get through this, Carlisle. We’re strong enough.”

He looked into her eyes, seeing the love and worry in them, and sighed. Pulling her down from the bed, he kept her in his embrace, breathing in her scent. “I have no idea what I did to deserve you.”

She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “I could say the same.”

“You’re an amazing woman, Elleanora. I don’t believe I’ve ever told you how much I admire your strength, both the physical and the mental.”

“You’re just as strong, Carlisle,” she insisted. “You’ve overcome so much. You are fighting against your own nature every single moment of your existence, and you prevail. Besides,” she smiled teasingly, “I like the fact that you can match my physical strength.”

Her smile could scatter his thoughts like nothing else could, and he found himself leaning in for a kiss that turned passionate within seconds. Then, he was pressing her against the nearest wall and fighting both her clothes and his. There were no thoughts in his mind as he touched her, took and gave, made love to her. No thoughts but those of her and their children, making this joining so much more emotional that he was afraid his heart would burst inside him.

o.O.o

In the two weeks that had passed since discovering Ella’s pregnancy, Carlisle threw himself into studying everything he could about pregnancy and childbirth. It was a field he had never practiced before. He always told himself that it was because he could use his skills to save lives in other fields, but now he could admit that it was because it was too painful. Seeing parents welcome children into the world while knowing he could never experience that himself was a kind of torment he had wished to avoid.

But it was not impossible for him, he’d learned. One special woman had given him the most precious gift of all—she was about to make him a father.

There was still much to worry about. Her progress was slower than that of a human pregnancy. He had estimated her conception date to be late March, and at fourteen weeks, she should have been showing significantly. Even allowing for her small build, the rate at which the babies were developing was too slow.

“I don’t like that frown on your face,” Ella grumbled.

Everyone gathered in the laboratory to see the ultrasound. They’d done several of those before, but this was the first time Ella had agreed to let everyone else in the room during one. She was finding herself to be strangely possessive these days. She had told herself that no one would harm her or the precious lives growing inside her, but it was of little use. The instinctual need to protect was too strong.

She hadn’t known that she could love so strongly, care so deeply about someone else. She loved Carlisle with everything she had in her, and in the first days after the discovery, she had worried that she might not be able to love her children as much. Her worries evaporated when Carlisle did the first ultrasound—Ella was grateful for Adele’s foresight to have the machine present in the Manor—and she’d heard the heartbeats. Her hearing was sharp enough to detect other heartbeats in the room, but she couldn’t—not until that moment—distinguish her own heartbeat from that of the babies’.

She cried for the entire duration of the exam, calling herself a sentimental fool, but she fell in love. And she understood. It wasn’t a matter of loving one or the other, wasn’t a matter of choosing between Carlisle and the life growing inside her. Her heart simply expanded to include all three. In one heartbeat, her capacity to love had tripled.

The moment she realized it, though, was the moment that she grew teeth and bark. She couldn’t stand anyone but Carlisle touching her, even in a fleeting gesture, without having the urge to throw that person, whomever it might be, and pin them to the ground. The compromise of letting everyone witness the ultrasound was a stretch as far as she was concerned, and having Carlisle frowning was triggering her protective instincts again.

“Your progress is slower than what I would have expected with a human pregnancy, but then again, this isn’t a human pregnancy...” He passed one hand through his hair, messing it.

She blanched. “Is there something wrong with them?”

“No, no,” he rushed to soothe her. “I am frustrated at my own inability to find answers. Half of the information I have tells me that you’re fourteen weeks pregnant, but the size of the babies says that you are no further than ten weeks along.”

“I’m a full month behind?”

“I’m not sure, and this is what is so frustrating.”

“Carlisle?” Daniel said, drawing his attention. “Vampires created by venom don’t change, is that correct? Their hair and nails don’t grow, right?”

“Yes, our physical form remains the same from the moment we awaken after the change.”

“What’s on your mind, Daniel?” Ella asked, wiping the gel from her belly.

“I’m no doctor, but I think that maybe the slower rate of growth is because Carlisle’s genes work more slowly than those of a human.” Daniel shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. “I’m sure genetics don’t work like math, but...what if normal genes plus Slayer genes plus vampire genes result in a slower rate of progress?”

“That’s an interesting theory.” Carlisle ran the numbers through his head. “The rate of development is about a third slower. This could definitely explain the anomalies.”

“Hold on!” Ella sat up. “Are you telling me I’m going to be pregnant for a whole freaking year?”

Carly did her best to hide her chuckle at Ella’s shocked expression.

“I can only guess, Ella,” Carlisle said. “I’m pretty sure there’s never been another pregnancy quite like this one.”

“Then guess!” she demanded.

“Well, twins are notorious for being at a greater risk of not reaching the full term of forty weeks. Twins can be born as early as week thirty-six and be ready to live outside the womb, given some minimal external help.”

He went into further details, but her eyes began to glaze as the information turned more scientific. “Carlisle, in plain English, please?”

He wanted to chuckle, but he saw fear in her eyes. “All things considered, I can hazard a guess that you will have about nine months to carry the twins in total.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “We’re going to have Christmas babies, huh?”

Carlisle did chuckle now, kissing her gently. “Maybe.”

“Okay, now that we’re done with the emotional disaster that is me,” Ella wiped away the tears, “I remember Elizabeth saying something about news?”

Understanding her desire to change the subject, Elizabeth nodded. “Carly and I have been gathering information about what is going on in London, and...”

“Things suck,” Carly supplied. “Big time.”

“Don’t they always?” Ella murmured. “What is it this time?”

“The Council’s headquarters was destroyed,” Elizabeth said. “The official reason is a gas explosion, but whatever the reason was, it was intentional. All of the humans employed by the Council have perished.”

“Murdered.” Ella fisted her hands. “If we could only find out who the hell is behind this...”

“I can safely say vampire,” Jasper offered. “I ran a few checks in my own circles. Several nomads have reported that a new pair of vampires has taken residence in London. They are on the move, though.”

“Yes, that’s what we were able to ascertain as well,” Elizabeth agreed. “They are heading west.”

“And they have at least four turned Slayers with them,” Carly added. “Clair Wilson, sixteen, from Galway, Ireland, disappeared without a trace.” She took out a photo from the file she was holding.

Ella took the picture and examined the young face, feeling pain and rage building inside her at the loss of such a young life.

“Amana Sa’her, thirteen, kidnapped in broad daylight in a market in Cairo by a pale-faced man.” Carly produced a second picture. “Consuela Suarez-Garcia, fifteen, from Lima, Peru, also disappeared without a trace.”

Carlisle looked at the serious girl in the picture. Dark eyes, dark hair, so young.

“And Iskra Dolina, seventeen, from a small village east of Yekaterinburg, Russia,” Elizabeth finished, passing around the last photo.

“Interesting name,” Jasper murmured, looking at the blue-eyed brunette in the picture. “Spark Valley.”

“How can you be sure that all four have been turned?” Ella asked, returning the last picture to Carly.

“I checked,” Carly answered. “Daniel helped me find the right spell once I had their pictures. They are all dead but still walking the earth. They are either zombies or vampires.”

Ella snorted. “With my luck, they’ll turn out to be zombies.” She looked at Elizabeth’s face. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

“Yes.” Elizabeth turned to Jasper. “You tell her.”

“I met a nomad that told me he was approached by an unfamiliar vampire, offering him to join what that vampire had called the ‘future leaders of the vampire world’. This nomad is a peaceful creature, so he refused. He stayed long enough to ascertain where they were heading next to make sure that he didn’t cross paths with them again.” Jasper’s expression was completely blank, and that made Ella worry. She’d seen this expression on him before, and it always meant that he was preparing for an attack. “They are heading here.”

“Here, as in Germany?”

“No, Ella. Here, as in Almond Manor,” Jasper said. “They know about this house.”

“How long until they arrive?” Carlisle asked.

“I don’t know,” Alice said, looking frustrated. “I haven’t been able to see anything yet. The nomad Jasper spoke with said that they were no more than two weeks away.”

“Well, at least the battle will be on our home turf.” Ella stood up. “Let’s go grab something to eat. We can start planning during lunch.”

o.O.o

Ella stood with her eyes closed in the middle of the Almond Manor library and tried to release whatever barrier prevented Alice from seeing any future involving her. They needed every bit of information they could possibly get on the upcoming fight.

While Jasper’s gift was like a blanket, Alice’s felt like a probe. It was cold, like the touch of a doctor’s stethoscope making first contact with the skin. She tried to let Alice in, but she couldn’t. As soon as the cold came near her, she instinctively closed off.

“I can’t do it.” She finally broke down. “I can’t let you in.” Cursing under her breath, Ella began to pace.

“We can try again later,” Alice said.

“No. We don’t have time for later!” Ella continued to pace.

“Ella?” Jasper drew her attention.

“What?”

“What do you feel when you try to let Alice’s gift work?”

“Vulnerable.” The word slipped out without Ella intending to say it. “I feel like I’m threatened, and I can’t let my guard down.”

The others kept silent, knowing how much concentration Ella needed to open herself. They were there for support, but now Jasper thought that it might not have been a smart move to have so many people around. “Carly, Elizabeth, Daniel, can you please leave us for a moment?”

“Why?” Carly asked even as she stood up.

“I’ll tell you in a few minutes,” Jasper promised. “Just leave the room and lock the door behind you.”

Elizabeth looked at Jasper then at Ella and decided that whatever Jasper had in mind, it was worth a try. “I’ll go start on dinner.”

“We’ll help you,” Daniel said, gently leading a reluctant Carly out of the room.

“It’s okay, Carly,” Ella said, seeing the worry in her sister’s expression.

“Fine.” Carly finally turned and walked out of the room.

“Now, let’s try this again,” Jasper said. “Maybe with less people in the room, you won’t feel as threatened.”

Ella nodded and was about to close her eyes again, but then an idea came to her. “Carlisle?” She reached out for him, and he was by her side in the next instant. He ignored her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“You’re safe in my arms,” he whispered next to her ear. “I will never let any harm come to you or to our children.”

She took a deep breath, finding comfort in his scent and touch. The warmth that had always been present when she touched him was something she found herself craving more and more recently. He was her protector, her warrior, her shield. She could open herself up if she had him at her side.

“I’m ready.”

She closed her eyes and waited to feel the cold jabbing of Alice’s gift. It came a moment later, but this time she could allow the piercing jabs to pass through. They weren’t as cold as they had been when she had stood alone. Whatever barrier she possessed as the Slayer, it seemed to allow itself to become less solid if Carlisle was present.

“Eight fighters,” Alice murmured, her eyes staring, unfocused, through a window only she could see. “Three male, five female. The four Slayers among them. They will come from the northeast. A week, no more.”

Alice blinked, and the window was shut.

“Eight fighters,” Ella murmured. They only had four who could fight: Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and herself. “Two to one...” She shook her head. “I’ve fought against worse odds, but I don’t like it.”

“There was something...” Alice hesitated.

“What?” Ella asked.

“I’ll show you.” Alice walked over to the desk and took one of the open notebooks. She began to sketch, working in her natural speed.

Ella frowned when she saw the figure emerging from the drawing. “That’s a demon vampire. Would they be coming at night?”

“No. I saw them traveling by day, and neither of them was burning.”

“Do you think that there’s a third kind that we’re unaware of?” Carlisle asked.

“It makes no sense.” Ella looked at the drawing again. The prominent brow, the fangs, the distortion of the face, they were all familiar to her from the vampires she’d fought back in Phoenix. “How many of these did you see?”

“Two,” Alice replied. “Both were males. They had yellow eyes. Not like ours, but more like a yellow-greenish color.”

Ella nodded. “That’s usually what they look like.”

“But when they morphed back into human faces, they had red eyes,” Alice continued. “I think that these might be your vampires that were bitten by one of ours.”

Ella froze. “I never even considered it possible.”

“That would make them much stronger,” Jasper commented in a flat tone, “benefiting from the strengths of both species.”

“There is more,” Alice said, looking up at Carlisle. “Esme was one of the two who was leading them.”

Carlisle cursed. “I knew I should have killed that miserable bitch last time I saw her.”

Ella’s smile turned predatory. “I’m glad you didn’t. I will enjoy ripping her heart from her chest and watching her burn. She’s not a fighter from what I remember you telling me.”

“She isn’t,” Jasper confirmed. “The others are going to be our main concern.”

“I agree,” Carlisle said. “Four turned Slayers, two very strong vampires, and their other leader are going to be our main focus.” He didn’t mention his prime concern. Ella. She had the Vampire Killer, but she was vulnerable, more vulnerable than she had ever been in her life. She had continued to train, but he couldn’t even begin to envision her fighting an enemy that was determined to kill her, take her away from him. Just thinking about it made his anger rise.

“Let’s talk to the others,” Ella said and tore the sheet of paper with the drawing from the notebook. She folded it, placing it in the pocket of her jeans. “We’re going to need to do more than a little research.”

o.O.o

After dinner—Elizabeth had refused to let them take the dinner plates to the library—they headed back to the books. Daniel and Elizabeth went on to research the possibility of a demon vampire being turned by a venom vampire and tried to see if there was anything written about what would be the result of such an occurrence.

Carly headed to her computer. She had recently contacted a Wiccan coven in Ireland and wanted to ask them if they had ever heard about something like that.

Alice and Jasper helped Daniel and Elizabeth go over the books. Ella and Carlisle worked with Daniel for a while before Ella left for her evening run, Carlisle joining her.

While the couple was out, Carly had an idea. She checked the details with one of the members of the Irish coven and then called the others.

“I know we’re all worried about Ella, and I also know that none of you is planning on letting me, Daniel, or Elizabeth fight,” Carly began. “That’s why I came up with an idea.” She passed around a printout of the spell she’d been working on the past hour.

“It’s a protection spell,” Elizabeth murmured.

“It is,” Carly confirmed. “I will need both you and Daniel to do it right, and we’ll need to be isolated. This will require a lot of concentration.”

“Carly, this is heavy magick,” Daniel said. “Are you sure you are ready for this?”

“It’s not a question of being ready,” she replied. “It’s a question of need, and we need this. No, don’t argue with me, please. She’s my sister. I can’t let her down.”

Elizabeth understood and decided not to argue, either. Carly needed to do this, and because of that, Elizabeth would help her. “We have most of the ingredients for this here, but for some, we’ll need to go into town.”

“I’ll go with you,” Alice said. “None of us should be hanging out alone, and a shopping trip is a shopping trip, isn’t it?”

Carly laughed—as Alice had intended her to—and nodded. “I’ll go with you. Gotta make sure that you buy the right stuff, you know?”

o.O.o

Ella and Carlisle didn’t get far in their run before they turned to sit on a riverbank not far from the manor.

“I’m scared, Carlisle,” Ella whispered. She curled deeper into his embrace, laying one hand over his on her belly.

“I know.” He kissed her softly on the temple. He didn’t tell her that he was scared as well; she didn’t need him to say it, no matter how true it was. She just knew it on some level. What she needed now was comfort. “I won’t let anything happen to you or to our children.”

Ella smiled, loving the way his eyes softened and his voice turned admiring whenever he spoke of their children. They’d been blessed, she thought as she looked down on their intertwined fingers. They had created life when such an option should not have been possible. She had to believe that this hadn’t been in vain, that whatever entity had been watching over them so far would continue doing so in the future. She was a fighter—a trained one, a strong one—and she wasn’t alone. A witch, a scholar, an immortal, a seer, an empath, and a healer stood alongside her, the warrior.

“Make sure that you don’t let anything happen to you, either,” she told him.

“I’ll have you to watch my back.” He smiled at her. “Can’t leave you with nothing to do, can I?”

She laughed. It was nice to have a break from the worry. “Make love to me.”

“You never have to ask,” he whispered as he brushed his lips against hers. He understood her need to be loved, to touch and to be touched, for he held those same needs inside him.

Giving in to their passion, Carlisle brought her to straddle him, both of them losing their clothes quickly. They joined under the moonlight, sighing in pleasure, forgetting—for several sweet moments—everything but each other.

o.O.o

Returning to the manor, Ella and Carlisle found Jasper alone in the library.

“Where did everybody go?” Ella asked, looking around to make sure that her eyes supported what her ears were telling her—that there was no one else in the room.

Jasper smiled at the rumpled appearance of the couple. “Carly found a spell that she wanted to use, so they went to the city to get the necessary ingredients. Alice couldn’t resist the shopping trip.”

“At this time of night?” Carlisle was surprised. “I didn’t think there was anything open now.”

“There isn’t,” Jasper replied. “Elizabeth said that she knew the clerk personally. The preparations for the spell will take a few days, and they didn’t want to dally.”

“I see.” Ella sat down in one of the chairs, Carlisle coming to stand behind her. “Did you find anything?”

“Not much.” Jasper picked up one of the books. Opening it to the right page, he turned the book for her to see. “This is the best reference we could find.”

Carlisle read the page together with Ella. “This doesn’t give us much,” he said.

“At least it confirms that it is possible,” Ella said.

“Alice also left these for you.” Jasper passed them a notebook. “She drew sketches of all of the vampires she saw in her vision. She wanted to make sure we knew what they looked like to avoid any mistakes.”

Ella looked at the first page, memorizing the features of the unknown vampire, and then moved to the next one, doing the same. She bit back an angry hiss when she saw Esme’s face looking back at her from one of the drawings; Alice had written the name under the sketch. When Ella turned the page to see the other enemy leader, she dropped the notebook as if it had bitten her.

“No, this can’t be.” Ella shot up from her seat. “Is there any chance Alice was wrong?” she asked Jasper.

“Wrong about what?”

“Ella, what’s wrong?” Carlisle came to stand in her way, stopping her pacing. “Do you know this vampire?”

“Knew him, despised him, fought him, and—until two minutes ago—believed that I’d staked his sorry ass.” Fury built inside her, mixing with pain and grief.

“Who is he, cara?”

“His name is Alucard, although I imagine that he’s going by another name now, and he killed my parents.” Swallowing back tears, Ella looked up. “He killed the people who raised me since I was three months old, Carlisle.”

“You staked him?” Jasper asked. “When was that?”

“Last September, I shot an arrow in his chest. I thought I killed him. Well, I guess I’ll just have to do it again, and this time I’m going to have to make sure that he stays dead.”

“Who stays dead?” Elizabeth asked as she, Carly, Daniel, and Alice walked into the library.

Ella picked up the notebook. ”Alucard.”

“What?” Carly shouted, dropping the bag she was holding. “I thought that son of a bitch was dead!”

“So did I,” Ella replied. “I guess I didn’t do a good enough job last time.”

“Hold on...Alucard?” Daniel reached for the notebook. “Isn’t he the vampire who attacked you, Carly?”

“Yes, and before you ask, no, I didn’t recognize him in the sketch.” She picked up the bag and brought it to the desk. “I never saw his face the night he attacked me.”

“But why did he wait so long to come back?” Alice asked. “Didn’t you say you killed him last September? I heard you as we were coming in.”

“He’s a smart vampire,” Ella replied. “He wouldn’t have come back for me until he had an army with him.”

“And now he has one.” Carly felt sick to her stomach at the thought.

Seeing the fear spread in her sister’s eyes, Ella decided that a change of subject was the best course of action. “Jasper said you’ve found a protection spell. Care to clue me in?”

“Yeah, sure.” Gathering her thoughts, Carly began explaining the spell she’d found, the changes she was going to include in it, and what she would need to actually cast it.

“I think the best room for us to use is the basement,” Elizabeth said when Carly was done explaining. “It’s pretty isolated.” She didn’t say the rest of what was on her mind, that if the vampires reached the house, it wouldn’t matter which room they were in.

“The basement it is,” Carly said.

“I’ll help you clean it up tomorrow,” Daniel said. “I think it’s time we called it a night. Well, those of us who sleep, at least.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Ella agreed and stood up. “See you all tomorrow.”

As Daniel, Elizabeth, and Carly went to their rooms, Jasper approached Alice and wrapped his arms around her. “How about we go to that lake not too far from here?”

“Hmm...I like the way you think, Mr. Whitlock.” Alice looked back at him, desire flooding her body as she caught a glimpse of what he wanted to do. “I _really_ like the way you think.”

o.O.o

As the days passed and preparations for the fight continued, the atmosphere grew tense. The fighting team—Ella, Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper—was training daily, working on fighting multiple opponents. The others were working on the spells, going over things several times to make sure that they all knew what to do during the fight itself. There were many layers to Carly’s protection spell, but it wasn’t the only one they were going to perform, just the most complicated one.

On the sixth day of the week of preparations predicted by Alice, Ella asked everyone to gather in the ballroom after dinner. She cleared the room from furniture and lit several candles in the middle of a circle of pillows. When everyone came in, she asked them to sit on the pillows. Once they did, she began to speak.

“I have lost two sets of parents, two families, and I couldn’t do anything to prevent the loss of either. However, I was fortunate enough to gain a third family, brothers and sisters whom I love as though you were my own flesh and blood.” She looked around the circle until her eyes locked with Carlisle’s. “A soul mate who gifted me with a future I never thought I would have. I have no intention of losing any one of you. Tomorrow is scary, I know. We have trained and prepared, but...even if we see them coming, prepare for them, we’re never truly ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really. But it does. It changes. It throws curve balls and surprises and big moments for us to handle. Big moments are going to come; we can’t help that. It’s what we do once they arrive that matters. We didn’t cower in the face of this danger, and this is what makes us stronger. We’re ready for whatever life throws our way tomorrow. We’re strong, determined, and we have a kick ass witch on our side.” She smiled and saw Carly straighten up a bit at the compliment. “Rest tonight. For the next hours, until dawn, don’t think about the future; it hasn’t happened yet. Someone once said that the future is a mystery, the past is history, but today is a gift—that is why it is called present. Use this present well tonight, and I will be proud to stand with each and every one of you tomorrow.”

* * *

_Surprise! Alucard is not dead, after all. *evil grin*_

_Die-hard Buffy fans might recognize parts of Ella's speech. I really loved the original quote, and I couldn't help but use it in here._

_Next chapter is the big fight and will be the last chapter for this story before the epilogue. Since everything is written and the epilogue is the capable hands of my editing team, I can tell you that chapter 34 will be here on Sunday (21st), and the epilogue will be up on Thursday (25th), which also happens to be my 26th birthday._

_Thank you again for reading, reviewing, and sticking with me._

_Alley Cat._


	34. The Fight

**  
Chapter Thirty-Four - The Fight**

Ella watched as everyone parted for the night and saw Carly and Daniel walking hand-in-hand to the second floor. She knew that they wouldn't part tonight. They needed each other.

_Just like I need my Carlisle._

She turned to the still-kneeling Carlisle beside her and reached for his hand.

"That was a good speech."

"Thank you." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Ready to go to bed?" he asked in a soft murmur.

She hummed an affirmative reply and let him help her up to her feet. She would follow her own advice, she decided, and think about nothing but the present. Upstairs, she smiled at Carlisle as she pulled him in with her to the soft bed they had shared since arriving at Almond Manor and simply curled into his embrace.

Carlisle noted that she fell asleep as soon as her body intertwined with his. She was tired, and he was glad that she had the opportunity to sleep. Alice had predicted that the enemy would arrive at dusk, so they had all decided to sleep in the next day. The last day wouldn't be dedicated to practice or preparations; it would be dedicated to rest.

He knew that if he let his mind wander, it would go straight to what they were about to face, so he forced his thoughts in a different direction, one that was much more pleasant. They would take a few years off, he decided, as off as Ella's duties would allow them. He wanted to ask her to marry him, and he felt a tingle of warmth in his body when he pictured her in a white dress walking down the aisle toward him. In his mind, he had made a commitment equal to marriage the night they first made love, but his human side needed the religious ceremony as well, to bond her to him in yet another way. He wondered if he should ask her before their children were born and felt another rush of warmth. Their  _children_. It was a concept he never thought he would be entertaining. He should have known better, he told himself. Just because something hadn't been known to happen, it didn't mean it was impossible.

A miracle, fate, he cared not for the reason for it. He embraced it. He could hardly wait to be able to feel his children moving inside her, kicking, announcing their presence in a more tangible way. Now that he knew what to look for, he could distinguish the sound of their hearts beating from that of Ella's heart; it was a steady, rapid pulsing of two tiny hearts.

Closing his eyes, he breathed her scent in and cleared his mind of all but the sounds of the hearts beating. He would protect them with his life, he vowed, and he would do everything in his power to make sure that it wouldn't take his life to do so. He never wanted to leave Ella alone.

o.O.o

Carly, Daniel, and Elizabeth stood on the thick carpet in the basement. They each wore white cotton shirts and pants and were barefoot. Each of them had a silver piece of jewelry on them: Carly wore star-shaped earrings with the letters E and C intertwined together; Elizabeth had a pendant bearing her initials, which was surrounded by leaves of the almond tree; Daniel had an intricate Celtic knot pinned to his shirt on the left side. The silver jewels represented their family, their strength, and their bonds. It was both for protection and for enhancement of their inner powers.

Ritualistic candles that had been carved, blessed, and lit, now stood on almost every flat surface in the room. The scent of incense that had been burning for the past twenty-four hours to purify the room from any remaining bad energy still lingered in the air. Herbs were organized on several trays according to their order of use. A sword, blessed twice and forged under a full moon, lay at Carly's feet, its blade dull, for it was not meant to cut in the physical plane. The chalice-a ceremonial goblet-stood on one side of the sword, and Carly's wand laid on the other; fire and water, balanced.

The tools had all been consecrated prior to the ceremony and had not been touched by anyone but Carly herself. She picked up the sword and carved a pentagram in the wooden floorboards that had been installed specifically for the purpose of this spell. She surrounded the star with a circle, connecting each of the five corners, and gave Elizabeth a nod.

"North to south, east to west, a circle of light here I cast," Elizabeth began. "Mother to daughter, daughter to son. A circle of one."

"At this time, between day and night, we seek wisdom and sight," Daniel continued. "Our hearts are pure. Our will is true. A circle of two."

Carly raised the sword in the air. "Goddess of life, give us your blessing. Protector of light, guard the path we are taking. Power lives free. A circle of three!"

A circle of light rose from the carving Carly had made in the wood. It shone in the darkness, and then the light dissipated, leaving but a shimmer behind it. This was the first step of many. The circle would help them concentrate the energy within them, and it would also protect them against evil. This basic casting erected a magical equivalent of a fortress wall around the group.

"Now we are ready to start the fun stuff. Let's start with fire." Carly smiled. "From dusk and until the moon is gone, this fire I make will glow bright as the sun. As light grows weak across the sky, I call the flames from air to fly. Burn no flesh, no feather, no tree. As I wish, so mote it be."

Fire erupted in the middle of the circle, bright and warm, but the floorboards beneath it were undamaged.

"Through oceans and rivers and beyond the mountains tall, hear my summons, hear my call," Elizabeth said, looking into the fire. "From cloud and from earth, from wind and from storm, the waters I bring shall harm no form. As water falls and thunder roars, I call thee to protect these halls. Goddess of ocean, river, and sea, as I wish, so mote it be."

Around the burning fire, through the crevices formed by Carly's carving, water began to flow. First, the pentagram was formed, and then the circle around the group was filled as well. Perfectly balanced and magical as they were, the fire and water coincided without affecting each other.

Daniel took a deep breath and closed his eyes before speaking his part of the summoning. "From desert plains and ancient caves, on mountain tops and forest ground, I plea the land, the dirt, the sand to bound. Heed my will and carve a trail, guide us to live, to thrive, to prevail. Mother of nature, I plead thee, as I will, so mote it be."

The wooden floorboard beneath their feet vanished. There was now warm sand under their toes, silky and smooth.

"Last but not least, let's summon the air," Carly said and placed her sword on the sand. They joined hands and began to chant the last summoning spell.

Once all four elements were properly summoned, it was time for the most complicated spell any of them had ever cast. It was also the most important one, for it was more than likely that this would be the pivoting point of the battle.

As they gathered the herbs into the cauldron in their proper order, chanting their memorized lines, the magical energy around them began to swell. Herbs burning in a beautiful green flame, they held hands and finished the protection spell together, their voices rising to the sky.

o.O.o

They stood at the edge of the property that belonged to the Almond family, four fierce warriors dressed in black. As the elements were summoned inside the house, they prepared for battle. Just as Carly had told them before they had left, a surge of power went through them. It was followed by a deafening thunder-Carly's idea of signaling to them that the first part of the protection spell had been cast.

"She doesn't do things small, does she?" Jasper murmured.

"That's my Carly." Ella grinned. "She never does things halfheartedly."

"They're coming," Alice said quietly. "I can hear them."

Wrapping both hands around the Vampire Killer, Ella said, "Good. It's time to finish this."

The four turned-Slayers came first, emerging from the thick forest that surrounded Almond Manor. Dirty, wild, growling, they charged at them. Jasper was knocked back by a powerful kick to his chest, but he recovered quickly. When his assailant, whom he recognized easily from Alice's sketch as Consuela, went after him again, he evaded.

Consuela was quick and agile, and her body still retained memories of her Slayer training. She rushed toward Jasper with a punch. He tried to grab her arm and throw her back to the woods, but she surprised him by landing on her feet, wrapping her other hand around his wrist, and throwing him into the trees.

Alice saw Jasper disappearing between the trees and kept one ear attuned to the noise coming from that direction. Her opponent was the youngest of the turned Slayers, Amana. She was blocking her vision, but it wasn't as bad as with Ella, so Alice could still rely on her gift in the battle. Ignoring the pang of sorrow at having to kill such a young opponent, Alice decided to administer the killing bite as quickly as she could; she charged and went for Amana's neck.

Realizing that she was facing a much more skilled opponent than she had been prepared to face, Amana backed up into the forest. This wasn't her fight; this was her opportunity to flee while her masters and enemies were preoccupied. She would use her newfound stealth ability and the keen sense that had been enhanced by the change to make her escape.

Alice did not pause to think; she immediately darted after the turned Slayer as she tried to flee the battle. She might not have wanted to kill a thirteen-year-old girl, but the monster that that girl had been turned into could not be allowed to survive.

o.O.o

Ella swung the Vampire Killer and sliced through her attacker, removing the arm off the Russian slayer in a lightning-fast motion.

Iskra howled in pain and, just like a wounded animal, tried to attack Ella again. Her speed, enhanced by the change her body had experienced, allowed her to gain the momentary advantage on her enemy, and her claw-like strike hit Ella's arm.

As the nails dug into her flesh, Ella caught Iskra's wrist and used the opening to send a powerful kick into her stomach. The vampire immediately released her hold on Ella's arm and growled. She lunged again, feigning a strike to Ella's side. As Ella defended, Iskra crouched and tried to sweep her feet from beneath her.

Ella was almost disappointed with her enemy's strength; the kick was well-aimed, but it wasn't nearly powerful enough to even move her. She crouched and kicked the Slayer in the head. The sound of the strike echoed around the forest like thunder, accompanied by the sickening sound of bone cracking.

Carlisle found himself struggling against Clair. The black-haired Slayer was fast, attacking him with a flurry of hand strikes and kicks. He noted that although Alice and Jasper were out of sight, he could hear their fights continuing in the forest. They would not be able to help him.

It took every bit of concentration on his part to keep Ella in his peripheral vision, even as he attempted to throw Clair over his head and gain time to recuperate. Clair's body soared through the air, and she landed in a tree, sending splinters and birds flying. In the moment's reprieve, he saw that Ella was fighting the Russian turned-Slayer and noted that it was almost as though she was playing with the girl.

As Clair raced from between the trees and demanded his full attention again, he realized that he hadn't seen Esme or any of the three other males. He had a bad feeling about it.

Ella finished Iskra off with a pang of sorrow. The girl's life had ended the moment she'd been bitten, but Ella still found herself regretting having to be the one to finish the job. She saw that Carlisle was still fighting the Irish Slayer and that he was having difficulty in dealing with her. She was about to turn to help him when something slammed into her. She hissed as she felt pain shoot through her shoulder.

Distracted by her hiss, Carlisle missed Clair's next attack and found himself on his back, holding back the turned Slayer merely inches away from his neck.

At that moment, Alice and Jasper appeared from between the trees, both of them thrown into the clearing. They were followed by two male figures, the hybrid vampires Alice had seen in her vision.

Clenching her teeth and biting back the pain, Ella swung the battle cross and decapitated the vampire that had attacked her, noting that it was another of the turned slayers, Amana. Her head flew somewhere between the trees, but Ella wasted no time watching where it went. She headed toward Carlisle. The inhuman growl coming from her was the only warning that Clair had before Ella pummeled her fists into her side.

Carlisle used this opportunity to dispose of the turned-Slayer in two quick motions. He was standing by Ella's side the second Clair's head flew off her shoulders.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked, his eyes darting up and down her body, followed by his hands, checking her for injuries.

"It's nothing serious," she said and swatted his hands away. "I just bruised my shoulder. Honestly, I'm okay."

He could smell her blood, and his mind clouded. She  _was_  hurt. Her blood was spilled. Someone would have to pay.

"Help Alice," she told him. "I'll give Jasper a hand."

He wanted to argue, but she was already running toward the trees. Cursing under his breath, he ran to Alice. He kicked the male vampire off her, getting a short, "Thanks," in response.

The angry male, Mitch, was already on his feet and running back toward them, a mighty growl erupting from his demon-like features.

Carlisle and Alice reacted at the same time, moving in opposite directions to flank their attacker.

Mitch made a split second decision and went after the smaller of his two targets. The little bitch proved to be harder to catch than he initially assumed. She dodged every punch he threw at her, crouching when he kicked high and jumping in the air when he kicked low. He also had to keep track of the other target. The male came at him every time the female evaded. Mitch calculated quickly after his third kick missed its mark.

He kept the female in his peripheral view and turned his attention to the male. He punched him in the side but earned a kick to his torso immediately after. The female jumped on him from behind, attempting to go after his neck, but he grabbed her by her hair and threw her off and into the male he was fighting.

Mitch hadn't accounted for one thing-The Slayer. When his chest was suddenly pierced by a long piece of metal, he howled in pain, and in the next instant, his head went flying off his shoulders with another swipe of Ella's battle-cross-turned-sword.

"We need to go back," Carlisle said, his eyes savoring the beautiful sight of his soul mate.

"The leaders can't be too far," Alice agreed, "and I don't like having Jasper out of my sight."

Ella simply nodded and darted back out of the tree line.

When they emerged from the forest, Carlisle saw Jasper appear on the other side of the field, unharmed. Before Alice could make a move to reach him, the two missing leaders of their attackers came into the field as well.

The smile on Carlisle's face when he saw Esme and Adrian make their appearance was nothing short of predatory. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. This time, Esme was not going to walk away from the battlefield. This time, he was going to destroy her. He could see Ella wearing a cold smile. Her gaze was focused on the leaders as well. He could almost feel her vibrating with the desire to kill them, to make them pay for the pain their actions had brought to those she loved.

"Not bad," Adrian said as they approached. "Those half-a-brains actually did some damage." His eyes traveled to meet Ella's, and he sent her a smile that had once caused shivers to run down her spine. "Hello, Isabella. It's been a while. Have you missed me?"

"Didn't I kick your ass already?" She smiled, showing nothing but boredom on her face. "Guess your ass really missed the kicking. Don't worry. I'm ready to make sure it gets a good whooping." She held the silver cross in one hand and focused on channeling her emotions toward it. If there was ever a time to make good use of the Vampire Killer, it was now.

Adrian laughed. "Haven't you learned a thing, little girl? Metal can't hurt me." He cocked his head to the side and glanced at the vampires around them. "Hanging around damaged vampires..." He tsked.

"Damaged, my ass," Jasper murmured as he slowly edged forward. Something wasn't right, he thought. The cocky bastard was feeling too smug, too confident for someone who had just had all of his army destroyed.

On the other side of the clearing, Esme wore a similar smug, cocky smile. "Is that what you've come down to, Carl? A human Slayer?"

Letting the insult pass, Carlisle allowed himself a glance at Ella. Her stance was confident, her face calm and composed. There was no trace of pain in her, and he prayed that her injury was truly nothing more than a small bump to her shoulder.

"I think I might be doing you a favor, after all," Esme mused, "ridding you of your pathetic existence. Too bad you were never vampire enough to have me."

Carlisle laughed. It was a mirthless sound. "You really are as stupid as you look, aren't you? Building an army to get me? Haven't you learned your lesson last time?"

Esme smiled. "Oh, but I have. I most definitely have."

o.O.o

Carly gulped air as her spirit returned to her body. Taking flight, disassociating the consciousness from the body, was risky, but it wasn't as though she could call Ella and ask for an update on the battle.

"What did you see?" Elizabeth asked.

"They killed their army," Carly replied, leaning on Daniel to gain her equilibrium. "The leaders, Esme and Alucard, have just arrived. I don't like it, though. There was something dark lingering between the trees not too far from them, and the leaders were much too confident."

"Maybe there's something Alice didn't see," Daniel said. "Here, drink." He pressed a glass of water to her lips. She was as pale as a ghost, but he knew that she wouldn't want to hear it.

"Thank you," she said when she was done. "They didn't have time to light a fire and finish off the ones they dismembered. I think we should start with that and go on from there."

Elizabeth wanted to protest-Carly was not only pale, but she was also shaking-yet it wasn't time for it. "Let's burn those motherfuckers."

Carly raised a brow and nearly chuckled. She had never heard Elizabeth curse before. She let it go, however, for there were more important things to take care of.

They sat in the circle, their faces lit with the light of the magic fire burning in the center of it, and began the chant that each of them had memorized in the preceding days.

"Goddess of moon, stars, and sun, send fire to finish what has begun. Mistress of deserts, seas, and sky, send flames to burn that which was sentenced to die. Protect the warriors who carry love in their heart, shield them from evil with your mystic light. Goddess, we plead thee, as we will, so mote it be."

o.O.o

The lightning came from clear, starry skies, striking the middle of the forest where the warriors had left their enemies in tatters. Ella and Carlisle each had a smile flash across their faces when both Esme and Adrian showed the first sign of nerves at the sight.

"How do you like the show, Al?" Ella asked. "Enjoying the pretty colors?"

"You will die today, you meddling bitch," he spat through gritted teeth. "I will enjoy choking the life out of your miserable corpse."

Adrian roared with anger and darted toward her at the same time as Esme took on Carlisle.

"Two problems with your logic, little Al." She ducked his incoming punch and landed one of her own. "First, you can't choke a corpse. It's already dead."

He tried catching her, attempting to wrap his hands around her neck, but she was too fast. She had improved, he noticed. The last time he had fought her, she was nothing more than a scared child. Never mind, he told himself. She would just prove more of a challenge for him until he killed her.

"Two"-she slipped from his grip again-"you are too old, too slow, and definitely too stupid to kill me." She began a chant in her mind, one that she didn't remember reading, as she kept her eyes locked on him.

"My  _name_  is Adrian! You will scream that name when you beg for mercy. I can smell your fear. I can hear that pathetic heart of yours beating twice as fast. You  _know_  I'm going to kill you."

"You will not touch a single hair on my body," she told him, raising the cross. It elongated and morphed before his very eyes, shaping itself into a longsword. The metal shone in the night, the magical power concealed within it shimmering beneath the surface. "You will never harm me or those dear to me."

He wavered, his confidence leaving him for the first time in his existence. It wasn't only her weapon that was glowing; it was she, as well. Her eyes became the clear blue of her father's, her hair paled to the blonde of her mother's, and her lips turned the color of blood.

"I killed your mother," he screamed, the panic trickling into his tone, "and by the devil, I will kill you, too!"

Ella's eyes never left his as she spoke in the voice of the first Slayer. "From the devil you come, to the devil you shall return. What you send to the world, to you is returned threefold."

He screamed as her sword sliced through him, a long, keening sound that was part rage and part pain. Flames erupted from the cut she'd made across his chest, and he fell to his knees.

"May the devil have no mercy on your soul," she told him in her own voice, her skin still shimmering.

A moment later, nothing but dust remained where he had knelt.

Suddenly, she could hear everything around her so clearly. She saw that the enemy had brought more with them, a second wave. These were weaker, though, newer vampires. Jasper was already making his way through the third or fourth by the time she lifted her gaze to him. Alice was holding her ground as well, she noted, but it was Carlisle who drew her eyes the most. He was engaged in a fight with Esme.

Ella never remembered making her way to the other side of the field, or speaking words that sent chills down the spines of every vampire who heard her. "A creature of evil, raised by the dark, you will forever bare my mark. What you send unto the world, to you is returned threefold."

Carlisle watched her as she made a clean cut across the chest of the women he'd once hated fiercely. Now he felt nothing toward her, no hate, no pity. Esme had brought everything on herself, and his only care was that Ella, his soul mate, his reason for existence, was safe at last.

A moment later, all three Cullens found themselves unable to move, unable to look away from Ella. She had a shimmering aura of light around her, as though she had pulled the rays of the moon itself and made a cloak out of them.

"Three millennia of cycles have come to an end. The evil that walks this earth is now dead." She raised her sword to the sky, her voice not quite her own. It was stronger, echoing throughout the forest. "A millennia for magic, a millennia for fear, a millennia for death. I am the one sent forth to start a new cycle, one of life and power and health. Thrice you prevailed, but now your power has paled."

The dozen vampires that were left of the second wave screamed when Ella plunged the sword into the ground, sending rivers of light across it. Like molten lava, the rivers flowed and burned every enemy, leaving nothing but light and dust in their wake.

With her hands on the hilt of her sword, Ella called out the last words of a spell that had been in her blood since the first magic. "From mother to daughter."

Inside the house, Carly stood with her ceremonial sword raised. "From daughter to son."

"What has been foretold-"

"-has now begun."

"Goddess of magic, Mistress of life, hear my plea." Their voices combined into one and could be heard in both the clearing and the basement. "As I will, so mote it be."

Blinding light filled the earth. The field, the trees, the house, the basement, everything was flooded, and everyone was rendered blind.

"And so, it had begun," a bodiless voice whispered, unheard by all. "A new bloodline to be born and to rule the new world."

When the light was gone, everyone collapsed to the ground. For the first time in their existence, even the vampires were rendered unconscious.

* * *

_What do you think about the awesomeness that is Ella in this chapter? And what about Carly? She seems to be developing into an awesome witch, isn't she?_

_Last chance to guess what Ella and Carlisle are going to have :)_

_Thank you all very much for reading. The epilogue will be up on Thursday, 25th, which also happens to be my birthday._

_Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you soon._

_Alley Cat._


	35. Epilogue

**  
Epilogue**

_Christmas 2003, Almond Manor_

Everyone gathered in the large ballroom of Almond Manor to celebrate Christmas together. The manor had undergone a great change in the four years that had passed since Elizabeth had made it her home, taking Martin and Lars, her cousins, in. They had been relatively quiet years in terms of fighting evil, but all of them had been busy.

Looking around the room tonight, Elizabeth thought that she was one lucky woman. She had a large family to celebrate this holiday with, even if they weren't all related by blood. The ties between them were stronger. They were ties of friendship, love, and care.

Carlisle and Ella were sitting on one of the plush sofas. Ella's head was leaning on Carlisle's shoulder, and his hand was wrapped around her. They were smiling softly as they watched their two little girls playing on the carpet.

"Those two have Lars and Marty wrapped around their little fingers," Ella said. Lars and Martin were sitting on the floor, surrounded by the girls' toys, and seemed to be having a wonderful time.

"I think Kate has taken a liking to Garrett," Carlisle said when Kate, the younger of their twin daughters, ran to Garrett, Carly and Daniel's son, and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.

"I think so, too."

Carlisle placed a kiss on the top of her head.

Seeing Carly shaking her head and laughing at the sight, Ella thought about how lucky she truly was. She had two beautiful daughters, Kate and Adele, each named after a great woman that Ella wanted to honor. She had a loving husband—Carlisle had asked her to marry him shortly after the fight in the summer four years ago—and she had an extended family that she wouldn't trade for the world.

Alice, her sister in so many ways, had pulled off a wedding that was just perfect for Ella and Carlisle—simple, private, and very personal—only two months after Carlisle had proposed. She knew how important it was for Carlisle to marry Ella before the girls' arrival, and so she pulled through.

Jasper, a brave soldier, a brother both in the battlefield and out, was present at the birth and calmed both her and Carlisle down. They hadn't had time to administer any drugs to Ella when she went into labor, so Jasper's gift had been infallible to both of them

Then Ella thought about Carly and Daniel, the first members of her new family. She had realized Carly and Daniel were in love long before either of them had sorted through their own feelings, and she was certain that she had been the first to understand that Carly was pregnant—long before Carly herself had registered that small fact. Garrett was conceived on the night of the battle and was born three months after Kate and Adele in a hospital in Ireland, where his parents had been visiting for their wedding.

Ella thought that the Wiccan ceremony in which Carly and Daniel had tied themselves to each other, instead of having a traditional wedding, fit them well. Flying to Ireland to perform it had been Daniel's gift to Carly. Having everyone else—Carlisle, Ella, the twins, Alice, Jasper, and Elizabeth—arrive just in time for Garrett's birth had been orchestrated by Alice, who had been able to give them a timeframe of when Carly was due.

The next generation was growing before her very eyes, Ella thought, looking at her daughters again. They would be strong, reliable girls. With her and Carlisle as parents, they couldn't be anything else. She smiled and moved to kiss Carlisle. Along with Kate and Adele, he was her world.

"Those two are making out again, aren't they?" Carly murmured to Daniel when she heard him chuckle.

"Yes." He kissed her on the neck. "Jealous?"

"As if!" She turned in his arms and offered him a sultry smile. "I know I could have you any time I want in any position I want."

Immediately aroused, Daniel had to remind himself that they weren't alone. "You are an evil woman, Carly Belmont."

"I know." She grinned and planted a kiss on his lips. "You wouldn't love me any other way."

"True."

Alice and Jasper walked over to the door when they heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"I'm glad you could make it." Jasper smiled and offered his hand to the nomad he and Alice had met long ago.

"Well, I was in the neighborhood." The nomad shook Jasper's hand and then swooped down to give a bone-crushing hug to Alice. "You haven't changed one bit, munchkin."

Alice giggled, not minding the old nickname. "You haven't changed either, Pooh."

"Pooh?" He cocked his head to the side, a black curl falling to his forehead.

"As in Pooh bear," Jasper explained.

"I've been called worse." The nomad shrugged.

"Well, let's get you cleaned up so you can join the others in the ballroom," Alice said.

"A ballroom? Sheesh." He took a sniff of the air and paused midway through the entry hall. "Who exactly are those ‘others'?"

"They are friends and family," Jasper said.

"They smell...weird."

Alice smiled, and Jasper immediately sensed that there was something happening here that he hadn't figured out yet.

"They are partially human," Alice said. "You'll meet them soon enough. First, a bath. You stink!"

The nomad rolled his eyes but followed Alice as she led him up to the second floor of the house and into one of the bedrooms.

"I've prepared some clothes for you to wear and laid them out on the bed," she pointed to the pile of neatly folded fabric. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom. Come downstairs when you're ready."

"Alright, General Munchkin." He added a salute to his grin, enjoying when she giggled in response.

o.O.o

Once they were back on the first floor, Jasper stopped Alice before she could reenter the ballroom.

"What's going on here, Alice?" he whispered.

She smiled. "You will see in a moment. There is much that is going to happen tonight."

From her smile and the joyous atmosphere around her, he knew that none of what she'd seen happening was bad, so he decided to let it go.

Calling the adults—Elizabeth, Ella, Carlisle, Daniel, and Carly—to the foyer, Alice announced, "We have a guest that will be joining us in a little while. He's a nomad Jasper and I met before we joined Carlisle. He's a human drinker, so I felt that a warning was in order."

"He's perfectly in control," Jasper said, responding to the swirling tension that spread throughout the group.

"I trust you," Elizabeth said, "but I'd feel better if we could meet him without the children being present."

"Don't worry, Elizabeth," Ella said. "With both me and Carly here, we'll be able to take control of any situation. I know you are concerned, but I am sure that Alice and Jasper wouldn't have invited someone that could harm their god-children."

"Very well." Elizabeth sighed, still feeling a bit nervous. "I'll accept that." She rubbed her hand over her stomach, which was making somersaults.

Ella paused, taking in the expression on Elizabeth's face and the smile on Alice's, and suddenly she thought of something. "Alice, what is the name of your guest?"

"His name is Emmett, Emmett McCarty."

"Someone call my name?" Emmett asked coming down the stairs. "Evening, everyone." He offered them a wide grin before his eyes locked with Elizabeth's. "Good evening."

He was by her side, raising her hand to place a kiss on it, before she could murmur a polite reply. In the back of her mind, she understood what must have been happening, but she was powerless and unwilling to stop it.

"Alice, you sneaky vampire," Ella said under her breath. She wore a wide smile as she watched Emmett and Elizabeth stare into each other's eyes, forgetting anything existed outside their little bubble.

Alice shrugged. "They would have met eventually. I just sped up the process."

"By how much?" Ella asked suspiciously.

"Well, she would have gone through five husbands and been widowed twice more. I thought I'd spare everyone the time." Alice offered her an innocent smile as Ella gaped at her.

" _Seven_ husbands total?"

Alice nodded.

"Sheesh."

Carlisle smiled down at Ella and then turned to their guest. "Emmett?"

"Yes?" Emmett didn't turn away from Elizabeth.

"You better treat her right, my friend, because you have three vampires and two witches who are more than happy to tear you into small pieces if you don't." Carlisle's expression was perfectly calm as he spoke the words quietly enough so the children wouldn't overhear them from across the room. "Are we clear on that?"

"Crystal." Then, as if something sank in, Emmett tore his eyes away from Elizabeth and asked, "Witches?"

"Formidable ones." Ella decided that a small demonstration was in order. She did the spell in her head, summoning a small ball of light to her hand.

Emmett hissed, an instinctive reaction, and placed himself between Ella and Elizabeth in what was clearly a protective stance.

"Oh, cut it out!" Elizabeth ordered, addressing both of them.

Ella let the ball rise into the air and made it explode into tiny sparks of light. "As you wish."

"Look, Ale!" Kate called. She still couldn't pronounce her sister's name properly. "Mommy is making pretty sparkles."

Adele looked up. "Pretty sparkles!" She clapped her little hands together and demanded, "Mommy, more lights!"

Laughing at the sound of her little girl's joy, Ella conjured a few dozen tiny sparkles above the girls' heads.

"Daddy, daddy, look!" Kate jumped, giggling as the lights fell down almost low enough for her to touch before they disappeared.

"Mommy and daddy?" Emmett asked, shock and blatant surprise visible on his face.

"It's a long story," Elizabeth said, "one that I don't want to get into right now. And keep those hands where I can see them!" she added when he tried to slide his arm around her waist.

He smiled. "Sure thing, gorgeous."

"Oh, for heaven's sake." Elizabeth sighed. "I have a name, Elizabeth, and you are welcome to use it." She tried to not let his smile get to her, but she could already feel her own lips curving.

"Speaking of names, let me introduce everyone," Alice said. "Ella and Carlisle. The two adorable girls there, Kate and Adele, are their twin daughters. Carly and Daniel, and the little boy, Garrett, is theirs. And the two guys who have way too much fun playing with the kids are Lars and Martin, Elizabeth's cousins."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Emmett offered a friendly smile to the adults and a wave to the kids, who quickly lost interest in the new arrival and returned to playing with Marty and Lars.

He was devilishly sexy, Elizabeth thought as they all walked back into the ballroom and gathered around the playing children. Dark, short, curly hair, wide shoulders that brought on images of his naked back to her mind, and large hands. He was muscled as well, and she speculated that he had been doing a lot of manual labor back when he had been human. A human drinking vampire, she thought, noticing how he was examining her as closely as she was him. Well, she could have done worse.

"I need to put the girls to sleep," Ella announced a few minutes later.

"Yes, I should get Garrett to bed as well." Carly stood up and went to pick up her son.

Emmett watched with obvious fascination as Ella and Carlisle each picked up a girl and took them upstairs, quickly followed by Carly, carrying Garrett, and Daniel, tailing the bunch.

"Elizabeth?" Marty called. "Lars and I are going to the basement to watch some movies. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night." She gave each of them a hug—something that got Emmett growling and earned him a frown from her that quickly cut off the sound—and returned to her seat.

"So, care to tell me some of that long story?" Emmett asked. "You have one hell of an odd bunch here."

"We can share parts," Jasper said. "When everyone returns, we can tell you the rest."

o.O.o

Ella hummed one of the girls' favorite lullabies and produced the show of lights that both girls adamantly demanded. They loved magic, and Ella had no doubt that they would be practicing the magic in their own blood soon enough. For now, they were her perfect little angels.

"Daddy, kiss!" Adele asked sleepily.

"Me, too!" Kate said from her bed.

Carlisle walked over to the girls and gave them their goodnight kisses, as he had done every day of their lives since they were born. Ella followed, whispering a quiet, "Goodnight," to each of them.

She let the lullaby linger in the air for a few more minutes after she had left the room and stood in the doorway, simply embracing her husband.

Holding her close to him, Carlisle noticed that Carly and Daniel were mirroring their position across the hall. "Is Garrett asleep already?"

"Yes," Carly replied. "Ready to go back downstairs?"

"Sure." Ella untangled herself from the embrace and took Carlisle's offered arm as they made their way down to the ballroom.

o.O.o

Once they had joined the others in the ballroom, Ella and Carlisle shared a little bit more about their histories with Emmett. They had accepted him as Elizabeth's mate since the moment they realized that he was just that, and with Alice and Jasper as advocates, they had no reason not to trust him.

It was long past midnight when Carly decided that there was no point in holding back the news she and Daniel had known for a while now. Alice and Jasper probably knew already, she told herself, and she wouldn't be able to conceal the evidence behind the thick sweaters for much longer.

Looking up at Daniel, she cast a spell in her thoughts to block Alice's vision. Once she was certain that Alice was blocked, she sent her thoughts to Daniel—a fairly simple but very useful trick she'd learned years ago—asking if he was ready to share their news.

He gave her a small nod.

"You are an evil witch, Carly," Alice muttered.

"Oh, I know." Carly grinned. "I just like keeping some decisions private, thank you very much, Miss I-Can-See-Everything."

Ella chuckled, having a pretty good guess of what Carly had just done. "Before you two get in a fight," she said, turning to look at Emmett, "I want to ask _you_ something."

"Fire away," Emmett replied from his seat next to Elizabeth.

They were holding hands, fingers intertwined, but there was no further intimacy. Ella wondered if that was Elizabeth's doing or a testimony to Emmett's restraint. "Are you staying over till New Year's?"

"That depends. Am I invited to?" He was looking at Elizabeth as he spoke.

"You are," she said slowly. "I do have one condition, though."

Something about the tone of her voice told Emmett that the condition applied not only to him staying till New Year's but to him being with her in general. He nodded, waiting for her to tell him what that condition was.

"You're going to go on a diet."

"Are you saying I'm fat?" he asked with a tingle of amusement in his eyes. He knew what she was saying; in fact, he'd decided to make the change soon after meeting her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Just because I can't hit you, doesn't mean that I don't have family who can."

"I don't doubt that you do." He took her hands in his and looked into her deep brown eyes, turning serious. "I know we've only met a few hours ago, but I do know one thing for certain: you value human life. You wouldn't be you if you didn't, and I know that being with you means a change for me. I imagine it won't be easy, but I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you, too," she said quietly. "It means a lot to me that you see this much about me."

"Good, now that we have that out of the way," Carly said, smiling at the couple, "I have some news to share. Well, _Daniel_ and I have news."

It was the hand gesture, Ella thought. There was just something so protective about the way both she and Daniel placed their intertwined hands on her tummy that gave them away. If she hadn't known it through her eyes and ears, that single gesture would have solidified it in her mind. "Congratulations, little sister."

Carly's eyes filled with tears at Ella's soft tone as her big sister pulled her in for a hug. "Thank you."

Alice squealed and wrapped her arms around the two sisters.

"Are we always going to be the last to know?" Emmett asked, addressing no one in particular.

"Just use your senses, Emmett," Jasper said, giving Daniel a friendly pat on the back.

"She's pregnant, you bozo," Elizabeth said when Emmett's face remained blank.

"Oh!" He smiled sheepishly. "Congratulations," he told both Carly and Daniel. "I understand what you mean now, Jasper. I can hear the second heartbeat."

Elizabeth stood and pulled Carly in for a hug of her own. "When are you due?" she asked after pulling away.

"Around mid-June," Carly replied, beaming.

Ella smiled when the conversation resumed, the excitement over Carly's new child filling the air. Cuddling deeper into her husband's embrace, Ella decided that the news of her own pregnancy could wait just a little longer. Tonight was her sister's night, and she would let her shine.

* * *

_I'd like to thank JasperDestiny, Mary-Alice-Brandon-Cullen, and Simaril, my faithful editing team, for listening to my crazy ideas, for helping me out of writer's block, and for being wonderful friends. I also want to thank all of you, my readers, both silent and reviewing, for sticking with me throughout this journey._

_I hope you have a wonderful day, and I hope that this fluffy epilogue left you with a smile as it did me._

_Alley Cat._


End file.
